Avatar: The Wind On The Waves
by Kota Magic
Summary: Kataang. Set some time after Firebending Masters. Aang is having difficulty meditating because he's thinking about his developing relationship with Katara. Cautious, but trying to be confident, he proceeds to take things to the next step.
1. Chapter 1

The Avatar group was on the move again

The Avatar group was on the move again. They were always on the move. They had to be. Even though there had been no attacks on them at the Western Air Temple since the explosive encounter with Combustion Man, it would be unwise to linger there for long. If Zuko had caught up to them, it was not impossible for other Fire Nation forces to follow close on their heels as well.

Despite Aang's allowance of the fire prince into the group, there still existed an uneasy tension between the former enemy and the others. Though she bit her tongue to keep it controlled, it didn't stop Katara from cutting a harsh remark every now and again. When it came time to leave, Zuko had seemed unsure of climbing into Appa's saddle with the others. The bison gave the uneasy boy a reassuring lick, and he cautiously ambled his way up. Once there, however, seating arrangements shifted, obviously leaving him on one side of the saddle while the others mostly piled on the other end.

But after a few days, the uneasiness faded to a neutral tolerance. Toph, not having known Zuko for as long as the others, had little issue with him aside from her burnt feet, and even then, with Katara's help, they were healing nicely. Momo would sometimes perch on Zuko's shoulder, munching greedily on whatever food his nimble lemur fingers had nabbed off of Sokka. The water tribe boy had even begun asking Zuko to light the campfires at night.

Even with the lightening mood, Aang still found the air too heavy and oppressive. He would frequently leave on short flights on his glider to try clearing his head. But all the wind rushing past him never seemed to be enough. His mind would wander to miscellaneous things constantly: the war, the failed invasion, his new firebending teacher, and Katara.

It was the water tribe girl that seemed to be occupying his thoughts more and more as he tried clearing them. Since arriving in the Fire Nation after his coma, there had been drastic changes between them, and not bad ones at that. Prior to the fall of Ba Sing Se, their relationship had been lighthearted and platonic. Exchanged glances and cheek kisses had been the bulk of their physical affections for one another. Well, aside, of course, from that wonderful, tingling feeling he'd felt in the Cave of Two Lovers.

But there had been a change since the coma. She would put her hands on him during healing sessions, even though she technically did not need to for the water to have its effect. In fact, she would take him in her arms more often, whether she was scared, relieved, or, perhaps, just wanting to physically let him know she was there with him. One night, as they had camped out alongside Appa, she had slumped slightly against him. Whether or not she had woken up from this or not, a small contented smile materialized, and her soft sigh spoke the same.

In response, Aang had become less passive and more actively interactive with her. When she had shied from his invitation to dance at the party, he persisted, and was rewarded with her in his arms. It was like learning Earthbending, he realized with a chuckle. When Katara had begged him to sleep before the invasion, he insisted on training himself to exhaustion. Doing so had induced hallucinations beyond all definition, but it had been worth it to dream of kissing her.

Speaking of which…

What had compelled him to actually kiss her on that day of the invasion? Aang was thankful he was alone, for surely, his cheeks had tinted deep crimson at the memory.

It had been desperation, the looming pressure of the battle ahead of them, that had driven him to capture her lips with his own. _I might not get another chance…_ he remembered the words that thundered in his head at that moment. _She at least had to know how I felt… if I didn't make it…_

But he had not died. He had not even encountered the Fire Lord. He was still alive, alive to face whatever reactions or repercussions were due to him for his sudden compulsion. And yet, after several days, nothing had come of it.

Perhaps it was because of the group's focus on the failed invasion and what was to be done next. Or maybe it had been the appearance of the fire prince that had everyone's mind preoccupied. It was certainly a logical reason. Either way, he had yet to know her feelings on the matter.

He landed easily near where the group had set up camp for the night. A roaring campfire was already going, and Katara had a pot of stew boiling over it. It wasn't until the hearty smell of food wafted past his nose that Aang realized just how hungry he had gotten, and how exhausted. As he sat himself down among the others, a sharp pain shot up his spine, echoing from the wound Azula had inflicted. He winced visibly.

"Aang! Are you all right!?" Katara nearly spilled the soup she was bending into everyone's bowls.

"I'm ok…" he breathed once the pain subsided. Still, he wrapped one arm around his torso to ease the remaining twinges.

Katara watched him a moment more, then hastily doled out stew to the others. No sooner had she finished than she was at Aang's side.

"It's acting up again, isn't it?" she said softly, almost whispering.

Aang nodded, but his eyes were focused on the ground.

"Come on," she gently took his arm and tugged for him to follow her. "We'll have a healing session."

They went into Katara's tent, and Aang shrugged the upper part of his robe off to expose the ugly wound. There had been critically significant progress from these healing sessions, but every now and again, memory pain would manifest briefly.

Aang sat down on Katara's laid out sleeping bag with his legs crossed, the usual posture for a healing session. She didn't have the water jars she usually used, so the water instead was drawn from the bloat she kept at her side for drinking water. Bending the water onto her hands, she carefully massaged it onto the wound.

"Does this feel any better?" she asked quietly.

The feel of her hands on his back felt refreshing and very relaxing. Aang leaned forward, the warmth of her water-covered hands making him drowsy. He almost didn't hear her question, but when it registered moments later, he nodded dozily.

"Lie down, Aang, if its more comfortable for you." She said. Aang didn't give her words a second thought as he nearly fell face first onto the pillow. The healing session went on, but for Aang, it wasn't more than a few moments before sleep claimed him.

He awoke in the middle of the night, a subconscious thought reminding him that he had not gone to his bed. Bolting upright, he looked around himself in the darkness. Nothing seemed out of place; he was in a tent and in bed… but not his own.

The warm, downy sleeping bag slid off his chest and pooled at his waist. Curious, he brought the fabric to his nose and inhaled.

_Katara_

He remembered that he had fallen asleep during one of Katara's healing sessions. It was sweet of her not to have woken him up, but if he was using her sleeping bag, then where was she resting?

The cool night air chilled his now exposed skin, and glancing about, he found and piled on his robe top. Stepping outside the tent, he looked around for the water tribe girl.

A tent of earthen slate denoted where Toph slept, and a black and red tent belonged to Zuko. By the fire, side by side, were the water tribe siblings. Sokka was quietly mumbling something incoherent about meat, and there, beside him in Aang's sleeping bag, was Katara. Beyond the siblings loomed the gray sleeping form of Appa. Tucked in beside the bison's face was Momo, who snored his gurgling snore in easy rhythm.

The Avatar tiptoed carefully over to the sleeping girl by the fire. She was lying on her side, with her back to him. Crouching down beside her, he found himself entranced by the gentle rise and fall of the covers on her. The pale moonlight brushed gently against the dark complexion of her face.

She shifted slightly, and for a numb moment, Aang was afraid he had somehow disturbed her. But she remained asleep, moving only to idly scratch her cheek. When she stilled again, Aang let go of the breath he had been holding.

_I should get back to sleep myself…_ he reasoned and stood up to return to Katara's tent. Before stepping back inside, he glanced back at her once more.

_Are you mad at me? Are you happy? I wish you would tell me…_

Aang awoke to the delicious smell of food tickling his nose. His stomach rumbled, and he airbent himself out of bed. He felt refreshed, and strangely happy as he joined the breakfast circle outside.

"Good morning!" he greeted the others. Their mouths full, they nodded their good mornings to him.

"Are you feeling any better, Aang?" Katara asked.

"Much better." He nodded. "Thanks!"

Katara's cheeks tinted pink, and she handed Aang his bowl of breakfast: a sweet oatmeal with wild blue cherries mixed into it. He noted mentally that the others were eating a different breakfast with meat mixed in. Katara had thoughtfully prepared this separately in consideration of his distaste for animal flesh. It wasn't something that Katara hadn't done before, but all the same, the gesture touched his heart. He smiled to her and dug right in.

At Toph's insistence, Sokka decided that this area would be good enough to stay for a few days before moving on. It would also give everyone a chance to relax and take it easy as they saw fit for a little while. Aang took this opportunity to go through some firebending practice with Zuko.

The Avatar and the Fire Prince went over several basics, even going through the motions of the Dancing Dragon to regain a feel for the maneuver. But as the training went on, Aang found himself distracted by the previous night's thoughts—a dangerous mistake when practicing firebending. Thrusting a fist forward to deliver a straight burst, Aang instead caused the flame to flare up in front of his hand, startling him back to reality. He quickly pulled his hand back to inspect the damage; thankfully, there was nothing to show for it.

"Are you all right?" Zuko asked, seeing the mistake.

"Yeah, I'm all right…" Aang replied, rubbing his knuckles where the flame had barely licked them.

"You were distracted." Zuko stated calmly. "What's up?"

"Nothing…" Aang looked away, still rubbing his knuckles idly. "I think I we should take a break for today. I could use some meditation too."

The Fire Prince eyed him as if to inquire further, but didn't.

"Ok then, we'll pick up from here tomorrow then." He said. "Just don't let yourself get distracted when doing that move. If the chi for it doesn't flow out completely and fast enough, the fire manifests too close to your skin, like it just did."

"Thank you, Sifu Hotman"

"Stop calling me Hotman!"

Aang bowed to Zuko with a light, amused smile. Zuko returned the gesture and they parted ways.

Katara had found a pool with a small waterfall a short walk from the encampment, and it was here that Aang settled himself in for some meditation. Breathing slowly and deeply, he collected his thoughts and focused them mentally in one place.

Predominant matters always surfaced first, and in this instance, it was Katara who came first. Her features stood out vividly in his mind, and a smile materialized on his face. With his eyes closed, Aang was, in a sense, in darkness, but his meditation transmuted that darkness into a memory—more specifically, that of a dark cave with dimming torchlight. By it, Aang could just make out Katara's face leaning in to his, and he into hers. The thrilling feeling of that moment ran through him, causing him to shiver.

Aang cracked his eyes open once the feeling had passed. The scenery around him was the same as it had been when he started. He was still alone and the water was still beside him, splashing and burbling.

His gaze wandered to the cloudless sky above. High above him, an eagle squirrel squeaked as it soared by. When he returned his gaze to straight ahead of him, his meditative mind put Katara before him. There was something very familiar in her eyes and a terrified feeling in his gut.

_What if… what if I don't come back?_ He heard himself say.

_Aang, don't say that…_ she replied.

"_I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT EITHER!_" Aang's heart thundered hard in his chest. _"How do I tell you…!?"_

…_Of course you'll—_

He hadn't let her finish. He couldn't. He couldn't even think beyond his panic, his desperation. Satisfied that his point had gotten across, he had pulled back. She seemed frozen, lost in what he'd just done, but at the loss of contact, she frowned. She understood. And then he took off on his glider, unable to go at all if he stayed a moment more.

His own words trembled over his lips time and time again, the dread of their meaning and the force that had compelled him to kiss her causing his very form to shudder.

_What if… What if I don't come back?_

"But you did come back."

Completely caught off guard, Aang cried out and flailed clumsily before falling backwards off the flat boulder he'd been meditating on. His meditation disrupted, he sat up to see Katara standing in front of him. She had a small bowl in her hands, and was looking at him with a straightforward semi-serious expression.

"W-When did you get here?" Aang quickly tried to compose himself.

"Just now." She replied. "Zuko told me you were meditating, and since it's almost lunch, I thought you might be hungry. Here."

She handed him the bowl, and he took it, though he didn't start eating right away. Aang rubbed his hand over his face, hoping to wipe away anything that was left of his meditative trance.

"Something's been bothering you lately." She continued when he didn't say anything. "Do you want to talk to me about it?"

Aang froze up momentarily, then relaxed his shoulders. This was what he had been waiting for, but now the words were lost to him. He nodded slightly, then locked eyes with her. She seemed to understand.

"I'm not mad…" she shifted her gaze quickly to the ground without turning her head. A blush tinted her cheeks. "I'm not mad… if that's what you're worried about."

"I don't know what came over me…" Aang's voice seemed to drift off, his eyes following suit. "I didn't know how else to—"

"But you did come back." Katara interrupted. "And you can tell me now…if… you want to…"

It was Aang's turn to blush, and his pale skin showed it a lot more than her darker shade could.

"I'm… not really good with words… like this…" he babbled.

Again, Katara seemed to understand. She tried to meet his eyes, and when he wouldn't, she extended her hand out to him. At this, Aang did meet her eyes, then took her hand in his, and pressed it affectionately against his cheek.

The light, spray-damp breeze of the waterfall seemed to pick up, caressing Aang's exposed shoulder and Katara's hair. He looked up at her again and smiled. It felt like the very elements gave their approval.

"Aang?" Katara piped gently.

"Things have been different since the invasion…" he said distractedly. "More like because of it."

She looked like she was going to say something, possibly reassurance that they would rescue Hakoda and the others in time. But Aang gave her hand a little squeeze, and the words died on her lips.

"I would have told you sooner… about how I felt." Aang kept his voice and words very controlled. "But I didn't know how, and whenever I got up the courage, there'd be a distraction or something. So… I… tried going about it… in other ways…"

"Like a real Airbender." Katara cracked a smile, and Aang thought those words had sounded familiar. His recognition must've showed, because Katara giggled.

"Haven't I heard something like that before from—" he started.

"Toph" Katara finished for him.

Aang's mind suddenly started going a mile a minute. Of course! The thought had crossed his mind before; why hadn't he realized it? Earthbending! It was like learning to Earthbend all over again! Going around the problem continuously failed, but when he got in the problem's face, as the blind girl had put it, he'd managed to solve it! That's why making and giving Katara a necklace had earned some affection. That's why persisting with his invitation to dance with her had paid off. And that, most of all, was why he was able to now express his love for Katara in regards to the sudden kiss during the invasion—facing the issue head on!

"Whoa…" he blinked.

"Are you all right, Aang?" Katara noted his space out.

Aang remained silent. His eyes fixed to the ground, he suddenly broke free of the pensive trance and took both of her hands in his own.

"Katara?"

"Yes, Aang?"

"I… I really… I… reallyreallyreallyREALLYREALLY like you…! …I…"

"Aang…"

"Reallyreally… like…like MORE than just friends!…"

Suddenly, unable to continue, Aang reached for his glider, intending to take off in a breath. The wind whirled all of a sudden around them, but Katara's hand stilled him, and they made eye contact again. She was smiling. Her eyes calmed him, as they always had, and the glider clattered to the ground with a ktak-tak. At this, she leaned in close, her warm breath tickling his face. Her water-blue eyes held the Avatar captive.

"I love you…" Aang whispered, entranced.

"I love you…" Katara mouthed silently, closing the distance between them with a kiss.

The wind kicked up again, licking at the splashing water. The cool of the dampened air caused them to shiver, but they did not break their precious connection. Her lips were warm, but they stirred such a powerful heat within him, like a fire in his chest. Neither parted the kiss until the need for air became too great.

They could only stare into one another's eyes. A sweet, euphoric haze drifted between them, allowing only one another to hold their attention. But all good things eventually come to an end. Aang felt approaching footsteps along the ground through his bare feet, a lesson learned from the blind earthbending master.

"Someone's coming…" he sighed disappointedly. He sat himself back down on the flat boulder and retrieved the previously forgotten bowl of fruit.

"Right…" Katara replied in like tone.

It was Sokka who came over, thirsty for some fresh water. He filled his bloat up, then drank from his cupped hands. Once satiated, he turned to his sister and the avatar.

"Everything ok out here?" he asked.

"Just fine, Sokka." Katara replied, perhaps a little too quickly.

Sokka's gaze shifted suspiciously from Katara over to Aang, half expecting an explanation from him, but the airbender conveniently had his mouth stuffed full of fruit.

"Well… don't be too long!" said Sokka. "I'd like to get a bath in sometime today. Oh, and Appa seems to be shedding again. We should wash him down before he leaves another trail for the Fire Nation to follow."

"Sure thing." Aang piped.

* * *

Washing Appa while he was shedding was never an easy task. As soon as one spot felt clean, a light tug would reveal it to be just another gob of white furry mess, and then it was back to square one. Thankfully, Appa didn't seem to mind the tedious process, particularly since it meant a lot less weight for him to be carrying around.

Not wanting to tire the others out, Aang chose to try cleaning the bison himself. Easy enough, he reasoned, given that he could waterbend a good rinse, then airbend the animal dry. Appa appreciated it, evidenced by the big bison kisses that soaked the Avatar clear to the bone.

The splish of footsteps caused Aang to turn around in mid-splash. Katara was coming towards them, wearing only her swimming undergarments. He lost his concentration for only a moment, but that was all it took for the suspended water to come crashing down—all over himself. Her giggle made him blush slightly.

"Need a hand?" she offered.

Aang ambled back onto his feet with a small smile.

"It is taking longer than I thought." He replied, glancing briefly at Appa before returning his gaze to her.

"I'll start on the other side then."

Something about her smile was different. Aang couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something in her eyes. Something familiar. Where had he seen it before?

Katara bent a large globule of water over Appa and rained it down on him. The beast replied with a soft contented rumble. Aang then bent the next one and 'scrubbed' the bison a bit. The process went back and forth between Aang and Katara, gradually cleaning away all of the excess fur.

Suddenly feeling a bit mischievous, Aang pushed the next globule of water more over to Katara's side and released it, sending a good portion of the water all over her.

"Hey!" came her surprised squeal.

Aang giggled, unashamed. Katara was quick to return the deluge in like kind.

"Hey!" He called to her, laughing. "That's cheating! We're supposed to be washing Appa!"

Her answer was another deluge and her own sprig of mirthful laughter. From there, it became less and less about cleaning Appa and more and more about soaking one another. He sent a wave at her; she'd return fire. He'd send a blob her way; she'd turn it back on him so that he was the one taking all the water. Soon, Appa found himself moving out of the way as the pair continued to splash and tease one another.

Aang set up the Octopus stance, gathering a myriad of water tentacles around himself. Katara was quicker to strike, but Aang was equally as quick on the defense. He held her 'attacks' at bay with one arm while the other seemed to be bending something different. Blocking several lashes, Aang shot one tentacle out to catch her hand, stopping her bending. He locked eyes with her, and his cheeks tinted pink.

"What?" she blinked.

Aang looked up at the water globule above them that he'd been bending while distracting Katara with the tentacle fight. Sucking in a deep breath, he hoped this trick would work.

_This is going to be a little tricky…_

He exhaled sharply, firebending an orange glow behind the heart-shaped globule he'd bent. Aang couldn't see her face, but he heard her audibly gasp in awe at the display. Out of breath, he stopped bending, and the aquatic heart rained down between them.

"Aang…" Katara breathed.

"I don't think I'll be able to do that one again for awhile without practice." Aang replied, regaining his breath.

Katara rushed over to him, taking him in her arms as though afraid he'd collapse from his effort. Aang seemed to melt against her, then wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"That was beautiful…!" she breathed against his ear.

"No, Katara…" he replied. "You are."

They loosened their grip to look at one another. Love brimmed like water in their eyes, and somewhere, far deeper, an even wind kindled their inner fire to a brighter, rosier glow.

Their lips connected and, as though by bellows, the fiery warmth grew. They parted briefly, then hazily reconnected. Aang reached up one hand to brush Katara's cheek with his fingertips.

In this moment, Katara saw someone different before her. Gone was the boy who loved penguin sledding and riding elephant koi. Gone was the precious friend who had given her hope that the world may yet be free of the war terrorizing it. No more was he the long-awaited Avatar that the Fire Nation had fought tooth and nail to capture and destroy. At this moment, he was none of those things, and yet he still was all of them. At this moment, he was just Aang, the man she loved.

He circled his arms around her waist, holding her close and deepening their kisses. Katara was a little surprised to feel the slightest brush of his tongue against her own. How much did he know of intimacy, she wondered?

She was about to find out, as the next kiss was bolder, warmer, more confident. His hands moved of their own accord, caressing her back, then resting the fingertips on her shoulders. Her hands were not idle either; she, too, held him close, and the other hand trailed the tattoo line at the back of his head. She was rewarded with a soft purr from the back of his throat.

It occurred to Aang when he had last seen that look in Katara's eyes.

_Don't worry about them. It's just you and me right now…_

That dance… that wonderful, daring, exciting, passionate, absolutely incredible dance! That look in her eyes—loving, enchanting, and seductive! She gave those eyes to him, and to him alone. It sent an ecstatic shiver throughout him to see it.

"Just you… and me…" he said softly. "…right… now…"

The grip around Katara's waist tightened, and their body heat seemed to flare radically. She was no naïve young girl, and was fully aware what pressed against her.

"Aang…" she blushed, searching his eyes.

His gray eyes peered into her own, looking for something as well. He swallowed hard, afraid to ruin this holy moment between them. Love pooled in Katara's beautiful blue eyes, there was no doubting that, but…

_Is this too much… too soon… too fast?_

"I wish I could tell you just how much you mean to me, Katara…" Aang breathed.

Her fingertips traced along the back of his head, and he shivered at the gentle touch.

"Tell me however you feel comfortable, Aang…" she replied. Her eyes seemed to add _'… even if you don't use words… show me…'_

Aang cupped her cheek in his palm, bringing her face to his for another kiss. It burned hotter than any of their previous kisses, and the pit of the stomach felt like boiling lava. The wind kicked up again, swirling about in a taunting teasing manner. There was a sudden, frenetic energy between them, and neither could keep their hands off of one another.

Curious and reveling in the rush, Katara nuzzled his cheek with her own, nudging him until she caught his ear with her lips. He gasped, freezing perfectly still. Liking the reaction, she gave it an experimental lick. The arm that had been rubbing her back immediately pulled her body against his tightly. Aang's breathing had picked up; since when had he ever lost control over his own element?

He tried to still himself, to regain the composure that he had lost, but gave that up when Katara gave his ear another lick. His hand went to her shoulder, caressing her neck briefly, then trailing them down to the edge of her top. Cautiously, he nudged a finger under it and waited for her to react. When she didn't protest, Aang slipped a second finger under the fabric and caressed the skin just beneath it.

Katara released his ear, only to sigh contentedly into it. He seemed to know what he was doing, she mused, but then again, he could be just going with his instincts. Still, if this was how he chose to express his love to her, she was certainly not complaining.

Aang moved his fingers more beneath the cloth, then his hand, holding her shoulder in his palm. He chanced a glance at her face, just to be sure. Her eyes were dreamy and heavy-lidded, but did not miss his look. The gentle tickle of her fingertips over his tattooed neck and back assured him that he was not in the wrong. All the same, he froze up when she grazed the wicked scar.

"I'm sorry!" she hastily apologized and drew back as much as his grip would allow.

"Shh…" Aang drew her back to him. "It's there because it happened… I'm here because of you…"

If Katara was going to respond to that, Aang did not give her the chance. His warm lips quieted her, and she relaxed in his arms once again. A tattooed hand retraced its trail over her shoulder, over the cloth, down her side, and coming to rest on her hip. Unable to resist the temptation, Katara helped herself to rubbing her hands over Aang's lean torso. He sighed, loving the feeling.

The dying wind chilled their wet skin and clothes. Aang stepped back a bit, put his hands together, then spread them apart. The water seemed to fly out of Katara's clothing, leaving it dry and looser on her. As thanks, Katara performed the same maneuver for him, and got one of his sweet smiles in return.

Feeling mischievous again, he bent a water whip out of the water behind her and caused it to 'lick' up her backside. Katara squealed, completely surprised, then feigned anger at Aang for the move.

"That was mean!" she stuck her tongue out.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he smirked. "Would it be better if I did… this?"

The tendril Aang had bent caught her wrist. When she tried moving her other hand to bend it away, she found that it, too, was bound by water. Aang had them tug her forward with a giggle and wrapped both arms around her waist. Despite being freed, Katara didn't seem to want to move.

Aang rested his head against the crook of her neck, never letting go. Like this, he seemed like a young boy again, taking comfort in her arms. He shifted himself against her, his mouth where she could feel his breath against her throat and his arms pulling her securely against him.

"I'll show you… how I feel…" he whispered. "If you want me to…"

Katara nodded slightly, the meaning heavy in his words.

He planted a kiss on her throat, earning a wonderful sigh from her. Reluctantly, Aang let go of her and turned to the dry land. There was a patch of soft moss lining the edge of the pool and a few large stones. Imitating Toph's nightly ritual, he earthbent a triangular tent, leaving the mossy ground virtually untouched. When he turned back to Katara, her deep crimson blush matched his own. Cautiously, he extended his hand out to her, inviting her to enter with him. His heart thundered in his chest.

_What if I'm taking this too far?_

She took his hand, squeezing it delicately. He led her inside.

It was a small enclosure, but it shielded them from stray winds and spray. Though dark, there was light enough to see one another. They sat down on the moss, gazing at one another. Aang leaned forward to kiss her, and she closed the distance between them.

His hands returned to her shoulders, fingers working their way beneath the clothing to savor the soft skin beneath. Katara's fingertips brushed against his chest, first tickling, then warming as they explored further. Aang tugged gently at her shoulder straps, more indicative than actually drawing them down. His gray eyes were wide, watching her, and waiting.

_He's asking if it's ok…_

"Aang…?" she whispered.

"Am I…" he stammered. "I mean… is this… is this ok? Are you… comfortable with… what we're doing?"

There was anxiety in his eyes, Katara noted, but not the childish terror she had seen multiple times in the past. It was controlled fear, concealed yet leaking through. She had seen those eyes before; time did nothing to fade the Day of Black Sun from memory.

"I am, Aang" she said, taking his face in her hands. "but you don't seem to be. What's wrong?"

"I love you, Katara…" he turned slightly. "more than anything. I rejected mastering the Avatar State because it meant I would have to let you go in the process. I'll never regret that. I'd give up being the Avatar if I could if it meant being with you forever. You've asked me to tell you how I feel, but I need to know if you feel the same way. I don't want to you to be hurt or mad. To lose you…"

He paused, seemingly unable to go on. Katara felt a light squeeze on her shoulders. Aang was taking in slow, deep breaths in a manner reminiscent of his meditation.

"To lose you…" he said brokenly. "It would be like… losing everyone… everything… all over again!"

Katara pulled him tightly into her arms, and by this she could feel the shuddering he struggled to suppress.

"Shh…" she cooed, stroking the back of his head. "I love you completely, Aang. Don't ever doubt that. You would never hurt me—"

"But what about the time I burned your—"

"The firebending accident was just that: an accident. I forgave you for that. You should forgive yourself also."

"…"

"Aang?"

"Hm?"

"Is there anything else on your mind? Anything else worrying you?"

"Well…I guess I kinda… wanted to ask your dad, or maybe even Sokka if… well, if it's ok to…"

At this, Katara's soft giggle escaped her. She released Aang to look him straight in the eye. Her warm smile overflowed with love.

"My dad approves, Aang." She took his hand in her own and squeezed affectionately. "He respects you, not just as the Avatar, but as a wonderful person too. As for Sokka…"

"Is he going to beat me up?"

"He'll probably overreact and give a big speech about how his 'little sister' is his responsibility." She rolled her eyes. "But, in all honesty, I think he'd approve because he knows how we feel about each other."

Aang's gaze was at the ground, but a small smile materialized on his face. He felt relieved and terribly shy all at once, and it showed on his tinted cheeks. Still he raised questioning eyes to her.

"Will you… love me…" he took her hand and rubbed it as he spoke. "…be with me… for the rest of my life, Katara?"

Katara gasped, and her face blushed deep scarlet. Her hand trembled, and joyous tears wet her face; there was no containing this euphoria!

"Yes!" she cried ecstatically. "Yes, I will! I will!" She caught her breath a bit before adding, almost cryptically, "And every lifetime afterwards…!"

The words struck home, and Aang was too overjoyed to keep control of himself. He embraced her so fast that he all but tackled her to the ground. Katara didn't seem to care, equally mirthful. Aang buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her with all the excitement of a child given candy. From the Spirit World, Aang could faintly feel all Avatars, past and future, rejoicing with him.

Katara's laughter melted to a loving sigh as Aang's kisses on her throat shifted to warm, open mouthed ones that left wet trails wherever they were placed. Half of his weight was on top of her, and their chests were quite firmly pressed together. Aang loosed one hand from under her back to caress her side softly. Katara purred at his delicate touch.

Amidst her elation, she realized that she was enjoying, but not giving anything back. Her fingers easily found his neck and back. She trailed them lightly over his skin, careful to avoid the sensitive scar.

Aang couldn't seem to get enough of her. It felt like a starvation that could never be fully satiated. He planted a warm kiss on her throat and sucked sensitively at it. Katara's eyes flew open, her breathing suddenly shallow and quick. Aang was teasing her, and it felt incredible.

Katara was still in a daze when Aang sat up beside her. He, too, was breathing heavy, and making a meditation gesture, he managed to calm himself a bit. Aang reached forward and slipped his fingers under the straps of her top, then gave her the questioning glance. Katara nodded timidly, and he languidly pulled them down off her shoulders. When it was down to just above her breasts, he again checked her expression; she mouthed a shy "Go ahead", and the garment was removed.

It took some resistance on Katara's part not to cover herself. She didn't meet Aang's gaze, afraid that he wouldn't like what he saw. His breath picked up again, and he reached out to graze one carefully with the back of his hand. The feathery caress warmed her whole body; her breathing picked up a notch at the sensation. Loving the reaction, Aang touched her again, this time with his fingertips. Katara whimpered dreamily for more.

Aang continued to caress her, keeping his ministrations light, circular, and only with his fingertips. Katara found this to be more of a tease than she could stand for long, so she pressed his hands against her bosom a bit more. Aang took this as encouragement and cupped them warmly in his palms. The blissful look on Katara's face pooled warmth in his lower belly.

He laid back down beside her, content for the time being to toy with her breasts. Drawing in a deep breath, Aang took in her scent and was thoroughly intoxicated by it. Katara drew him against her, and Aang found his cheek cushioned ever so comfortably against her breast. An idea darted across his mind, and Aang could only have assumed one of his previous incarnations had suggested it; he kissed her breast. Katara sighed happily, pulling him even closer until his face was pressed against her. Curious, he took the peak in his mouth.

Katara cried out, ecstatic, and the very sound fell not on deaf ears. To Aang, it felt as though hot water had been poured through him without scalding. He gave an experimental suck, and the resulting cry made his body tingle.

He gave her other breast the same attentions, eliciting those wonderful cries and whimpers that exhilarated him entirely. Katara curled her arms around him, cradling him, and keeping him close. While his mouth was busy, his hands trailed her sides. She squirmed under his touch, never withdrawing, but always shifting herself to feel more of him. In her wriggling, her leg slipped between his and brushed his groin. Instantly, he froze up.

"Did I hurt you, Aang?" she said once she regained her voice.

"No…" he whispered. "Not… at all…"

She tried to move her leg away, but Aang pinned it right where it was. As he slid himself up to kiss her, the solid bulge below his waist pressed against her thigh, and Katara realized that this was why he didn't want her to budge. Despite what they were already doing, she found herself suddenly shy.

His lips trailed soft kisses from her neck to her navel. Here, he sat up, staring intently on Katara's lower covering. She peered up at him, and that questioning look was in his eyes again. Katara knelt up in front of him, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him. Then, without breaking their connection, she traced his arms from shoulder to wrist with her fingertips, enjoying the shiver it triggered from him. His hands were led to the edge of her loin cover; cautiously, Aang slipped a finger beneath the band on each side.

Katara had never imagined that the feel of her own clothing being drawn off of her could feel so good. Perhaps it was because not being the one doing it made it all the more sensual. Or perhaps it was because of which part of her garb was being removed. Her preferred idea was that it was because Aang was doing it.

Her body exposed, Katara again felt the need to cover herself. But something about Aang's warm hands on her hips tossed that idea to oblivion. Still, she pulled him into her arms, feeling his hot skin against her own.

"Are you scared?" Aang whispered in her ear. "Do you want me to stop?"

"I've never…" her voice trembled slightly. "No one's ever seen me--"

"I see you… and you're beautiful" he said.

"Aang…" she sighed against his ear. One of his hands was appreciating the smooth skin of her backside while the other buried itself in her hair.

"Just tell me… do you want to stop where we are right now?"

"No."

Aang pulled away enough to look at her. Katara gazed back with equal intensity. He drew in a slow, deep breath, then let it out just as forcefully calm.

Outside the makeshift dwelling, the sun was setting. The shadows grew longer and the light faded as the sun descended beyond the horizon. What little light there was to be had in the little earth tent was slipping away in increments.

Aang rose to his feet, turning away from Katara, though she watched him, spellbound. There was a rustling of cloth as he loosened the belt and removed his pants. He paused, glancing over his shoulder at her before going further and finally removing his underwear.

By this time, the last of the sun's rays had faded to darkness, blanketing all in night. Aang knelt down beside Katara and slowly reached out to her. From the feel of her breath on his hand, he found her face and caressed it gently. She in turn leaned into his touch, an unseen smile on her face. Shifting closer to one another, their lips met, and the memories of the Omashu cave flittered to the surface.

Breaking the kiss, they leaned their foreheads together, loving the feel of the simple, yet emotionally close contact. Aang's hand trailed lazily down her cheek, brushing her shoulder, and coming to rest comfortably on her breast. Katara's sweet sigh was warm on his face. Idly, he massaged them, loosing some of his earlier apprehensions in the process.

Katara lay back on their discarded clothing; the moss may have been soft, but it was still cold and keeping the still warm clothing about was much more comfortable. Aang curled up next to her, his hands never leaving her body. She reached out to him, not wanting him to be left out. Her hands kneaded his side, wandering down to his hips and giving his rear a light squeeze. An amused breath tickled her.

Their hands never stopped. Aang dragged a slow trail down over her stomach, pausing to feel her belly button. The fingers brushing his hips wandered cautiously over his leg and inner thigh. He suddenly froze when, just for a split second, his sack was grazed. But instead of pausing his ministrations on her, he sighed and moved on from where he had paused, moving lower at a painstakingly slow pace.

He was teasing her, Katara was sure of it. With every minuscule movement, he removed any doubts she had had about how much he had learned centuries ago from a life lived among monks. Aang had always had such a carefree nature; perhaps the fun loving ways of the air benders extended to truly all facets, and as such were taught about physical pleasures as well.

Katara would have mused more on this had Aang's fingers not brushed her lower regions. She gasped suddenly, the hand she had on his thigh giving it a squeeze. Her breathing picked up again, and in a sort of retaliation for his touch, she purposely ran a finger over his sack, just catching his hardness in the process. Aang moaned against her shoulder.

Wanting to hear more from him, she repeated the gesture, and was rewarded with a louder moan. Aang wriggled closer to her until his aroused body was pressed against the side of hers. Temptation overcame her, and she cupped his length in her hand, awed by the feverish heat of it. Aang pulled her into a tight embrace, crying out unhindered. The sound made her whole body tingle; she squeezed him several times, eliciting more from him.

All of the years of meditation and learning to control the different calls of his body were rapidly eluding the air bender with every bit of pressure Katara applied to his sensitive body. Lost to the feel of her hand on him, Aang ground himself against her hand, mimicking the ancient dance of life he so direly wanted with her. Every thrust merited another wonderful squeeze, and he could never seem to have enough of them.

Katara stopped to kiss him, but by this point, Aang was not ready to relinquish the ecstasy she'd been gracing him with. Wrapping a leg around hers, he continued pressing against her, gradually more desperate for contact with each grind. The hand at her waist returned to her folds, now slick and warm. She cried out, bending her unpinned leg to give him more access. Another touch of his fingers and she arched her back off the ground, a strangled version of Aang's name escaping her.

Outside, the nearly full moon was rising, and its light cast a holy glow on all that it touched below. It stirred the already flowing chi of the two benders in the earthen tent. The water outside, once quietly lapping at the edges of the pool, hit the banks with a bit more force, sending spray into the wind, which had, interestingly enough, picked up as well.

Aang pushed his fingers in a little bit more. Katara gripped his shoulders in a vice-like grip, refusing to let go. She was taking in great gulps of air and exhaling wordless praise of him with every breath. He continued to play with her a bit more before removing his fingers and looking at his wet fingers, rubbing them experimentally.

Katara's grip on him tightened to the point where it was starting to get painful. With the moon out, Aang could see her eyes: desperate, pleading, loving, and lusting. A light sheen of sweat made her skin gleam in the First Waterbender's light. Aang moved over her, settling himself between her legs and keeping his weight up on his arms.

Aroused as he was, Aang suddenly felt embarrassed again. It had been at this point that his schooling in intimacy had all but come to a close. The monks had said that even if the mind was unsure how to proceed, the body would know what to do and take lead. He pushed against her, the heat of that contact causing both to moan and shiver.

But he'd been off center, and feared this mistake would make him seem clumsy in Katara's eyes. But she didn't seem fazed at all, instead taking him into her hand again and actually setting him where he needed to be. As though banishing any residual embarrassment left in him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a deep kiss.

The kiss muffled their cries as they came together intimately. Neither had ever imagined such a close, hot, ecstatic euphoria. For Aang, it was an embrace like no other. For Katara, she wondered how she had never felt empty, spiritually and physically, before this very moment.

Breaking their kiss, they looked deeply into one another's eyes. Arctic blue reflected storm cloud gray and vice versa. Their mingled breath tickled their faces in warm, quickened pants. The world around them faded away, leaving only each other, for one another.

Katara pushed against him and they moaned together. Obeying his body, Aang pulled back ever so slightly, then slid back in, crying out even louder. They pressed again and again, learning one another's rhythm and falling into it. The chi in their bodies swirled wild as a whirlpool. Their lovemaking was like water bending worship; the push and pull of their bodies imitated the sea as the wind licked at it.

Aang quickened their pace, feeling a familiar pressure growing in his lower regions. Katara clung to him, urging him on with her cries and meeting him thrust for thrust. He kissed her neck and chest, drinking in her marvelous scent. Her fingers dug into his upper back, clinging as though she'd die without him. He, too, gripped her tightly, his arms beneath her arched back holding her to him and keeping her body at that perfect angle they'd both come to love. Soon, only the intimate parts of their bodies moved; their immovable grip on one another allowed for nothing else.

Katara's cries turned a higher pitch and Aang could feel her body tightening around his own. Suddenly she clamped down on him and threw her head back, screaming his name to the heavens euphorically. Unable to hold back against such delicious friction, Aang bellowed a choked version of her name as he exploded, emptying his seed into her.

She came down from her release first, and cracking her eyes open, realized the tent was full of light. Still in the throes of orgasm, Aang's tattoos were glowing brightly, though his eyes were pinched tightly shut. As he began catching his breath, the glow faded until they were again dark.

Weary, he forced his eyes open to look at her. Katara's face was flush and sweaty, but to Aang, no other sight was more beautiful. An exhausted smile crossed her features, and the sight made him smile as well.

"That was…" she started.

"Whoa…" Aang finished for her, and they both laughed tiredly.

"I love you, Aang…" she sighed contentedly. She stroked the rim of his ear as though tucking some non-existent hair behind it.

Aang lay his full weight on her, unable to stay propped up on his elbows any longer. He found that her chest made a wonderful pillow for him, and her accelerated heartbeat was quickly lulling him to sleep.

"…love you…" he slurred, planting a sleepy kiss on her breast.

As charming as this was, Katara knew that the last thing they needed right now was to be caught by Sokka or the others in this situation. Regrettably, she nudged Aang to keep him awake.

"Hm…?"

"If we don't head back to camp, the others are going to come looking for us." She said softly.

"G'mme my whistle…" he mumbled.

"Your whistle?" she blinked. Why would he need the whistle to call Appa?

Aang nodded without lifting his head. Not expecting much of an answer, Katara fumbled for and found the bison whistle. She handed it to him and he blew into it. To them, there was no sound, but Appa heard the noise loud and clear and came right over to the tent.

"Hey buddy, think you could warn us if somebody shows up?" Aang smiled dozily up at the bison. "We kinda don' wanna get caught."

Appa grunted a yes and curled himself protectively around the earthen tent. Aang settled his head back down on Katara's chest, intending to go to sleep right there.

"Aang?"

"Hm…?"

"Even if Appa warns us, they're still going to see the tent and know something's up."

"Not necessarily." He slurred. "I figure… it's be a few hours 'fore they come looking fer us…By then, I can earth bend us int' the ground and they won't see it."

"And what about Toph? She can see underground you know."

Aang thought for a moment with his hazy mind.

"If she hates Sokka's wild tangents as much as we do… maybe she won't say anything… when they come by…"

"And if she doesn't?"

"…'ll figure… som…ing out…zzz…"

Katara shook her head with a weary smile. Aang had already fallen asleep, and moments later, she too slipped into a slumber of sweet dreams of her and her precious love.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, ok, I know this is marked as complete, and it's not. But that's because this was originally going to be just a very long one-shot. But, since I saw room to expand on it and the fans wanted more, I figured I'd go for it. Hope you like.

--Kota Magic

* * *

Several hours into the night, Katara was awakened to the rumble of Appa's warning. Despite her haziness, she collected her thoughts and suddenly remembered everything; sweet touches, passionate kisses, and the holy light of arrow tattoos.

She moved to get up, but a dead weight resting on top of her made it rather difficult.

_Aang_

Katara gave his shoulder a little shake. He groaned, but opened his eyes wearily.

"What…?" Aang mumbled, not yet fully aware of where or how he was.

"Aang, someone's coming!" she whispered loudly.

At this, the Avatar came to his senses. He clumsily leapt to his feet, still wobbly from slumber. Getting a sense of his surroundings, Aang cautiously leaned his head out of the tent to see his bison.

"Who is it, Appa? Is it Sokka? How far away is he?"

The sky bison delayed, then lowed softly. Aang let out the breath he was holding, but didn't relax for long. He turned to Katara, as if to relay what he knew, but at the sight of her unclothed form, silenced his tongue. He admired her, a warm smile gracing his features briefly.

"Sokka's probably coming for his bath." He said. "If we hurry, we can make it look like nothing happened."

Simultaneously, they grappled for their clothing and hastily piled it on. In spite of the moonlight, there was no fixing Katara's hair or healing the scratches she had passionately raked into Aang's shoulders. A little readjustment of clothing might be able to hide the scratches, Aang mentally reasoned, and Katara's hair often became disheveled when waterbending and splashing for extended periods of time.

Another, more urgent rumble from Appa told them that whoever was approaching was nearly there. Both hopping out of the tent, Aang quickly earthbent it back to how it had been prior. He flashed a smile to Katara, and she moved to the bison's face, petting it affectionately. Aang commenced airbending the flat of Appa's tail, giving the impression that he was drying the last of the water off of the animal.

It was Sokka who came up, looking around suspiciously before spotting the trio ahead of him. His bathing supplies were tucked in a small bundle under his left arm, but the meteorite sword was in hand, at the ready. His shoulders, initially tense, relaxed at the sight of his sister, friend, and the bison.

"What's taking you guys so long?" Sokka complained.

Aang put on his biggest smile and 'finished' airbending.

"You weren't kidding when you said that Appa needed a bath really badly!" he said. Noticing a glob of wet fur in the water, he picked it up and held it out to Sokka. "See? There's tons of it everywhere! At least now, Appa won't have all of that extra weight on him!"

"You're feeling much better, aren't you, Appa?" said Katara sweetly.

"Well, if you guys are all set, I'd like my long overdue bath now." Sokka dropped his stuff on edge of the pool and sheathed his sword. Aang and Katara took this as their cue to leave. But just as they were stepping out of sight, Sokka called out to them. They froze, fearing some minuscule evidence of what had transpired earlier had been discovered. Nervously, they backtracked to Sokka, who regarded them pensively.

"Something's different…" Sokka scratched his chin.

"What do you mean?" Aang blinked.

"I can't put my finger on it… You guys didn't run into any trouble out here, did you?"

"No." said Katara.

"Nothing worse than wet bison fur all over the place." Aang added with a smile.

Sokka stared a bit longer, then shrugged.

"Maybe I'm just imagining things." He sighed. "All right, I'll be back in a little while."

They walked beside Appa for a bit, then climbed into the saddle together to snuggle on the rest of the way back. Only once did Appa stop, and even then, it was only to sample some of the tasty tall grass along the way. Eventually, they fell asleep, leaning against one another for warmth, and did not wake up even when Appa curled up for the night.

* * *

The smell of food wafted under Aang's nose, but it was not a meal he would be partaking of. What was it, he sometimes wondered, was Sokka's obsession with meat at every meal? All the same, he stretched, careful not to disturb the sleeping beauty beside him. Regardless of his caution, however, Katara stirred awake.

"Hm…?" she cracked her eyes open.

"Good morning, Katara." Aang smiled. "Did you sleep ok?"

"I did." She replied; her dreams had echoed their lovemaking, leaving her to wake in a cheerful disposition. The smell of food hit her nose, and she peered over the rim of the saddle at the camp circle below. Just from the smell, she knew it to be one of the few recipes Sokka knew very well; it consisted of salted meat being boiled until it was rehydrated and tender. In a hurry, the meat would still be too salty, but with enough time, it was a very tasty dish.

Aang slid down Appa's tail and stretched again. Zuko and Toph were sitting by the fire, but Sokka was no where to be seen.

"Where's Sokka?" Aang asked.

"He said he was going out hunting since this is what's left of the meat we had." said Toph.

"He didn't catch anything yesterday when he went out?"

"Nope."

Katara slid down from the saddle to put together Aang's breakfast and have some herself. Zuko, who had been eating quite silently, eyed the two of them pensively. Confused and secretly nervous, Aang looked behind himself in case the fire prince's gaze was on something there instead.

"Something wrong, Zuko?" Aang asked, then glanced back at Appa again. "Did I miss a spot on Appa?"

"N-No, nothing like that…" Zuko replied.

Something was definitely different, but what it was, the Fire Prince couldn't quite pinpoint it; something in plain sight, yet barely so…

They finished breakfast and cleaned up, still with half the day remaining to do more or less whatever they pleased. Aang went off with Zuko for more firebending lessons at a clearing not all that far away. Toph idly amused herself by bending the space earth bracelet into various shapes. Katara busied herself organizing and taking stock of their travel supplies.

* * *

Sokka was pissed. His hunting trip had gone excellently. He had brought down a moose boar and even managed to snag a pheasant hawk. Both would provide enough food for the next few days, and they wouldn't be small meals either. It would also be a change from the lizardeer he had been catching on his past few hunting trips. By all rights and reason, he should have been overjoyed.

But Sokka was furious. As he half-dragged, half-carried his prizes back to the camp, he felt nothing but anger, betrayal, dishonesty, and hurt. Oh… when he got back to camp, he swore, Aang would beg to face the Fire Lord alone if it meant he would not have to face the insanely enraged water tribe boy. He was gripping the dead pheasant hawk so tightly that he broke a few more of its bones without even realizing it.

That nagging feeling that something had been off about Aang and Katara ceased to plague him throughout the previous night. No matter how he tried to figure it out, no clue would come to him. If he didn't resolve what it was by night the next day, he was just going to give up and forget about it.

It came to him while he was hunting today, and the realization struck him like a well-aimed arrow shot in his back. He had taken aim at the pheasant hawk, its autumn red feathers stark against the blue cloudless sky, and loosed the boomerang. It came down in a flurry of its own feathers, but Sokka had caught it as easily as the professional hunter he was.

As he looked the bird over, something caught his eye, and suddenly the nagging feeling clicked in his head. He suddenly clenched the bird tightly in his blue gloves, realization hitting him like Appa landing on him. Gathering his catch, he stormed back to the camp.

* * *

Toph was the first to notice that Sokka was returning. Initially happy, she immediately felt something was amiss and put her hands against the earth, getting a feel for more of his vibrations. Her sightless eyes grew wide and nervous.

"Hey guys…" she said, trying not to sound how she felt. "Sokka's on his way back… and he mad!"

"Mad?" Katara turned to her. "Maybe he just didn't catch anything."

"No…" Toph shifted her hands and feet to better feel the earth. "He's got food all right, and he's stomping like an angry moose lion. He's literally shaking all over from being so angry!"

Katara felt her heart skip a beat, then pound rapidly in her chest. Sokka had not gone hunting anywhere near where she and Aang had been last night, so she shouldn't have had to worry about him finding any stray evidence, if there was any to be had. Still, the fear gripped her heart as Sokka came through the tree line with his catch, his face dark with fury.

Sokka looked up at her, and his anger seemed to increase, if it were even possible. He threw down his catch and stormed up to her.

"**WHAT WERE YOU AND AANG DOING LAST NIGHT**?" he bellowed.

"Washing Appa!" she snapped back. "What do you think we did?"

"JUST washing Appa? Is that ALL you two did?"

"Of course that's all we did! Sokka, what is wrong with you? What's this all about?"

Sokka lowered his darkened gaze to the floor, his body shaking with barely restrained anger.

"If nothing happened…" he hissed through clenched teeth. "**THEN EXPLAIN THIS!**"

His arm shot out at her, and for a split second, Katara was certain he was going to punch her. But no blow landed. Instead, his hand darted out to her waist, grabbing hold of the belt and ripping it off as easily as paper. Pulling it taut between his hands, he put the belt right in front of Katara's face.

_Aang's autumn red silk belt_


	3. Chapter 3

She was supposed to have a comeback

She was supposed to have a comeback. Katara always had a comeback for anything Sokka could spit out. It had always been her way of shoving back when her brother's antics pushed her too far.

And yet, as Aang's belt was dangled before her, she had no words to explain why she had been wearing it.

"Go ahead, Katara…" Sokka glared. "Explain to me WHY you're wearing Aang's belt and why HE'S wearing YOURS! What reason could either of you POSSIBLY have had to switch belts, hm?"

"We were playing a game, Sokka!" Katara blurted out.

"Toph, is she lying?"

The blind girl sat where she was, her hands and feet to the earth the entire time. A strange expression of fear and…neutrality, graced her gazeless eyes. She seemed to 'look' up at Katara, then at Sokka before curling her lips into an angry snarl.

"Is she lying or not, Toph?" Sokka demanded.

"I'm staying out of this!" Toph retorted. As if to emphasize her point, she got up and started walking away.

"Toph!" Sokka pleaded.

"I'm not having any part in this until you calm down!" Toph barked.

Inside, Katara was breathing a huge sigh of relief, but realized that this might only be temporary. Somehow she had to warn Aang that Sokka was onto them, but she doubted her brother would dare let her out of his sight now.

"_Unless… Toph warns him…_" Katara thought, "_but will she?_"

"Sokka, you're overreacting!" she found her voice at last.

"Am I?" he glared at her, and for the first time since he had come back, behind his angry, ice-blue eyes, Katara could see something more: hurt. "Katara, I know Aang's the avatar and all, but... _why…?_"

"Just to set the record straight," she crossed her arms. "What exactly do you think we did?"

"You… and him… consummated this little relationship you've been having for quite a while now… I thought you two were still just flirting with each other!"

"We were!"

"And then what happened? Katara,… did he force you?"

"WHAT? AANG??"

"Did he or didn't he??"

"No!"

"Then what happened out there?"

"We washed Appa, started splashing in the water, and things went from there."

"So you just let yourself get carried away, didn't you!"

"OH! You've got some nerve saying I'M getting carried away when YOU'RE the one falling for a girl THREE DAYS after she kicks your butt!"

Katara might as well have just stabbed her brother in the chest with those words, because they shut him right up. Azula had taunted him about Suki, but Katara's outburst just opened the wound anew. She regretted it as soon as she had said it, but, she realized she could've done a lot worse; she could have mentioned Yue. She covered her mouth, shocked by her own coldness.

Sokka's face was turning red from being so upset, but Katara could tell the words had stung him by the slightest glint of sunlight on barely restrained tears.

"At least YOU'VE never lost someone you've fallen in love with!" Sokka barked once he'd regained his voice.

"I almost did!" Katara's eyes were now watering up. "He almost DIED!"

"Yue did! And for all we know, so did Suki!"

"You don't know that! Azula was baiting you!"

"I know that Suki isn't here! I know that Suki's in a stinking Fire Nation prison!"

"You don't—we're getting off topic here. Sokka, why are you so upset about me and Aang? Really?"

"I made a promise to Dad to protect you, and I failed!"

"Protect me from what?" she counted off on her fingers. "From danger, the fire nation, wild animals,…"

"From getting hurt."

"I'm not hurt!"

"Katara, you realize you can't marry anyone else now!"

"I don't want anyone else!"

"Katara, if you carry from this, you're going nowhere near a battlefield again! Do you understand what I mean? No fighting, no bending, no nothing! Did you even think of the consequences beforehand? Did you?"

Idly rubbing her arm, she knew full and well that Sokka was right. If something did come of last night, she'd be putting a huge dent in the next invasion plan.

"No," she looked back up at her brother. "I didn't. Not in terms of children anyway. But I don't regret what happened, and I won't." She paused and put a hand to her stomach pensively. "Even if something does come of it, it's not that much longer until the comet arrives, and we have to stop the Fire Nation before then. It won't show, I'll still fight alongside everyone else, and not you, Aang, or anyone else is going to stop me!"

She had been expecting Sokka to go on another tangent, but he didn't. Looking up, she saw his steadfast shoulders slump, defeated, and his gaze was to the ground before him. When he finally lifted his head back up, the fury was gone from his eyes, replaced with deep hurt and disappointment.

"You could've asked me." his voice reflected what his eyes did.

"I didn't think you'd approve…"

"Not to that!" he raised his voice momentarily, then calmed himself a bit. "Listen, I know Dad's not here right now, but if you had asked me if I was ok with you and Aang being together, I would've said yes. You've been together all this time that we've been traveling, and that's fine. That's the way things worked out. But Katara, seriously, _that_ could've waited. _That_ was not a risk worth taking right now."

"I'm sorry, Sokka." She whispered.

"I'm sorry too. For being a jerk about it."

She breathed deeply, and Sokka pulled her into a comforting hug. It was always moments like these that the siblings needed one another, whether the pain came from outside forces or from each other. Both remembered how important each other's comfort was in times of extreme stress: when mother died, when father left to join the war, when she'd played the Painted Lady, when his invasion planned had failed,… and when they'd hurt one another's feelings.

Aang and Zuko had been busy doing drills for a few hours now and were taking a breather before going through more. The Avatar was checking his soles and knuckles for burn damage. Distractions galore were causing a lot of mistakes to be made, and his own body stood to pay the price of it.

Zuko was looking worried too; if Aang were to go back to camp covered in burns, he had no doubts that a certain waterbender was going to reprimand him thoroughly for it. And she was NOT going to be nice about it.

"Keep burning yourself like that and your girlfriend's going to think I'm doing it." Zuko remarked.

Aang's cheeks tinted slightly, but he otherwise kept focus on the mild scorches he had sustained. None were even remotely life-threatening, but some of them stung, and he could only hope that Katara could heal them without much fuss. She often asked if Zuko had caused any of the burns he got from his firebending practice, and Aang got the impression she would do something very nasty to the fire prince if the answer ever came up as yes.

Realizing Zuko had referred to Katara as Aang's girlfriend, the Avatar's cheeks rosied a bit more. Flashes of last night's activities danced through his mind: the sweat on her dark skin, his name on her lips, the arch of her back, and the splay of her tussled, raven hair.

"Ok, now I KNOW something's up." Zuko blinked.

"Huh?" Aang snapped out of his daydream. "Oh! No, it's nothing… really. Well… maybe some other time. Let's pick up where we left off."

They got into their stance, but before they could start, a voice called out to them.

"YO! TWINKLETOES!"

Aang turned in the direction of Toph's voice, but a stone slab suddenly jutting up out of the ground and sending him on a short flight and a clumsy spill onto the ground knocked the wind out of him. Groaning, he got up, hastily dusting himself off.

"Ugh! Toph! What was that for?" he complained.

"You are in the BIGGEST pile of bison boogers ever!" the earthbender exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Aang tried to sound sincere, but then realized that Toph could probably sense the lump in his throat loud and clear.

"Sokka is going to _murder_ you when you get back to camp!"

"What!? Why?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I know what happened last night and so does Sokka. Look at your belt!"

Both Aang and Zuko looked down at the belt and gasped.

"This is—" Aang started.

"—Katara's belt. I'm aware. Sokka screamed it loud enough."

"Why are you wearing her belt?" Zuko's eyebrow twitched nervously.

"Monkey feathers!" Aang smacked his palm to his forehead. "I knew something was off when Sokka kept staring at us!"

"Yeah, you're pretty much on the menu tonight." Toph picked languidly at her ear. "And Sokka's the cook."

"What did you guys do? You didn't…" Zuko stared into Aang's eyes, and when the airbender gulped, the fire prince's eyes widened. "…you did!"

"Ugh!" Aang slapped his head again. "What am I going to do now?"

"If you ask me, you could do any number of things." Toph casually flicked away what she'd picked from her ear. "You could run like an airbender, fight fire with...well, fire, try redirecting Sokka's attention to something else,… or you could stand your ground like an earthbender."

Aang slumped to the ground, mentally weighing his options. Fighting or getting off topic with Sokka about this didn't seem right, so those two options were tossed out immediately. His airbender nature bid him to run like crazy and never look back, but the earthbending choice was the honorable one to make. Unfortunately, it was also the hardest.

With a sigh, he reluctantly got to his feet, looking ahead of him in the direction of the camp.

"You guys… might want to stay here." Aang stuttered. "This isn't going to be pretty…"

"Oh I _know_ it's not going to be pretty, and I can't even see!" Toph quipped.

"Thanks…" Aang rolled his eyes. And taking a deep breath, he headed back to camp.


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, I looked over the crits you guys gave for this chapter and touched it up a bit to straighten out some of the OOCness. You were right-- Sokka's sentence was too harsh and ridiculous, even for him. Hope the changes are truly improvements!

--Kota Magic

* * *

Step by very reluctant step, Aang trudged anxiously back to the campsite. Countless scenarios played out in his mind of his inevitable encounter with Sokka, and none of them were pleasant. Beatings, sword slashes and a lot of yelling were very real even if just in his imagination.

He tried to think of how he'd explain himself. Getting carried away? Not the wisest of answers, but to be fair, it wasn't a lie. He wanted to show his love for her? Kisses could've been more than enough, he knew Sokka would argue. Initially, Aang reasoned that Sokka probably would've frowned on the kissing too, but then again, Sokka probably would've preferred it to what had transpired.

The clearing of the campsite was coming up too fast for him. Previous walks to and from the pool seemed a lot longer when he didn't want them to be, but the more he dreaded this confrontation, the shorter the walk felt. The smell of meat cooking only reminded him of Toph's words, and he stopped short of the last tall brushes.

_I could still turn back… go back to the training area and hope that Katara comes looking for me. Or I could go back to the pool…_

Aang shook his head, desperate to clear it of the doubts and temptations clouding it. If he backed down now, it would only increase the trouble he'd eventually receive. After all, he was living with his friends, and they all had to work together to accomplish their goals against the fire nation. They couldn't do this if they couldn't resolve this.

He stepped into the clearing and looked ahead. Sokka was seated by the fire, prodding it idly with a stick. Across from him sat Katara.

_Oh Katara…!_

She sat by the fire across from Sokka, her brow creased and her expression deep and pensive. Her eyes were red as though she had shed tears and wiped them away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him and looked up, a mellowed surprised look on her face. Noticing her movement, her brother looked where she was facing and spotted Aang.

Sokka stood up, his face deathly serious, darkened with anger and something else. He pointed directly at Aang, and the poor Avatar felt like the very gesture had shot him in the chest.

"You. Me. We need to talk." Sokka said gravely.

Aang visibly breathed deeply, but he complied and followed Sokka to wherever he was being led for his telling off. As he passed by the campfire, he chanced a look at Katara. Her nervous eyes glanced up at him, and he turned away quickly not to lose courage. Sokka was leading him outside of the camp; Aang hoped they would go far off, so that it would take a long time to get there. But just out of hearing range seemed good enough for the water tribe boy, and he sat down on a boulder facing Aang.

"Sit." Sokka ordered in the same tone as before.

Aang immediately complied. For the few tense seconds that felt like an hour, Sokka glared him down, practically freezing Aang where he was without even the power to waterbend. Cold as they were, strangely enough, Aang did not see the murder that Toph had said there would be. Nonetheless, he kept perfectly motionless.

"I trusted you." Sokka hissed through clenched teeth.

Aang couldn't look Sokka directly in the eyes, but he didn't feel right staring at the ground. Sokka's chest was the best the poor Avatar could do; at least it kept his focus off of the sword and boomerang strapped securely to the other man's belt.

"I get it, you like my sister." Sokka continued, low and serious. "That's fine. I got that impression a long time ago. It's not like you two were exactly keeping it a secret."

Aang chanced eye contact. The other boy's face reflected his tone—controlled anger. There was another emotion in there too; was it sadness?

"You and her have shared kisses, plenty without me around, I'm sure." Sokka continued, ever so slightly lightening his tone. Then he looked off to the side. "Spirits know I've had my share from Suki… Yue…"

The Avatar suddenly felt sorry for Sokka. Here he was, with Katara constantly by his side, while poor Sokka was left without the two he'd loved so deeply… quite possibly permanently in both cases. It made him realize just how incredibly fortunate he himself was.

"But there was no need for _this_." Sokka's tone reverted back to anger. "You went behind my back, slept with my innocent sister, and possibly even got her with child! Do you realize what you've done!?"

Sokka stomped to his feet, glaring down at the still seated Aang. If the airbender had had any intention of jumping back or making a run for it, he failed. In conjunction with the earthbender mindset to face dilemmas head on was fear. Despite being the avatar, despite being able to thrash multiple opponents with all four elements at his disposal, and despite the fact that Sokka had no means by which to restrain him should he choose to, Aang did not dare move or make any sound of protest out of respect for the other boy.

"If she carries from this, it'll put a huge hole in our next invasion plan." Sokka continued. "She won't go anywhere near the battlefield, let alone fight in it. But you know what? That's not what's got me so mad about this, but do you know what does?"

Aang dared to look Sokka in the eyes. The look on the other boy's face shocked him.

"It's the fact that you _both_ went behind my back about it." Sokka was visibly shaking in anger, but his eyes were hurt and welling with tears. "I'm responsible for Katara's safety. That is a promise I made to my Dad when he left to fight in the war, and by going behind my back, you made me break that promise! But what's worse is that you hurt my trust. I _trusted_ you to protect my sister, to _help_ me keep my promise, and you were _doing_ that until NOW!"

"I'm sorry…" Aang finally spoke up, his voice low, scared, but serious. "I never meant any disrespect to you or your family. To be honest, I've wanted to ask you…if I could… propose to your sister, but I was scared you'd say no and try to keep Katara away from me. That would've just killed me…"

Sokka raised an eyebrow slightly, curious, but an indication to continue.

"I know we're busy trying to win this war right now," Aang carried on. "But when it's over, and… if it's okay with you, I'd… I'd like to… I'd like to ask Katara to marry me."

The other boy's expression seemed to soften, and he sat back down calmly and studied Aang carefully. The avatar's heart pounded against his ribs like a caged platypus bear. Sokka glanced down at the ground before staring Aang down again.

"After the war, and _only_ then." said Sokka. "I'm still mad at you both, but… I'll get over it in time. When it's all over, when we free all of our friends and families, you can ask my dad yourself. And… you technically didn't hurt her… it was stupid of me to think for even a moment you'd do anything against her will… I'm just… overprotective of my sister…"

Aang bowed his head respectively.

"But seriously," Sokka added, the dry, witty humor creeping back into his voice. "No more sleeping with my sister until the war's over. As much as I don't mind being 'Uncle Sokka,' I'd like that to wait until _after_ the Fire Lord's defeated to hear it, ok?"

The tension drained from Aang's face and flooded with relief. He cracked a weak, but warm smile. Sokka seemed to reflect the same feeling as he rested his hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Come on, let's go eat." said Sokka as his stomach rumbled. "I'm starving."

Aang went on ahead of him, approaching Katara and relaying the outcome to her. From where he stood at still a distance, Sokka saw the emotions play on Katara's face—worry, defiance, surprise, and finally relief. She hugged Aang tightly, only relinquishing her grip when he voiced his need for air.

Just in case anyone was wondering, no Aang did NOT propose or mention marriage to Katara just yet. THat is all. -- Kota Magic


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Was a little dry on inspiration, but it's trickling back. Might be another while before the next chapter comes out, but it is at least started.

By the way, yes, this does take place after the Boiling Rock episodes, but before Southern Raiders and all episodes after it because Nickolodeon takes too FUCKING long to release them. I do know some of the finale spoilers but I won't use them until I see them myself.

Ok, enjoy now.

* * *

The group had returned to the Southern Air Temple. Seeing as how the Fire Nation would have already come and gone by this time if they had checked the place out, it was decidedly somewhat safe to return there. After a careful search of the place for soldiers and booby traps, the group re-settled in.

Sokka was right, and gladly so. His temper had cooled down quickly after being so angry. True, a part of him was still quite miffed about what had transpired between his sister and the Avatar, but after his talk with Aang and mulling over the situation as a whole, it bothered him a lot less.

It likely also helped that he'd distracted himself with the rescue mission. He hadn't expected Zuko to have been so much the help that he had been. But in the long run, Sokka was relieved that he had. As the group's pseudo-guide to the Fire Nation's inner workings, Zuko was proving his loyalty to them with gusto. Knowing about and even raiding the Boiling Rock prison would've proven impossible without the banished prince's assistance.

Zuko's help at the Boiling Rock had also garnered respect from someone else: Katara. Though still weary, seeing her father free and among them had all but silenced her cold treatment of the scarred boy. Tears of joy had poured down her face, and after she and Sokka had embraced their father tightly, she turned to the fire prince and hugged him as well, a powerful, wordless thank you.

Zuko, naturally, was insanely confused at first. After all, this was the same woman who had threatened to kill him without hesitation if he were so much as suspected of treachery. Not wanting to re-incur her wrath, he accepted the gesture.

Sokka felt as though an entire iceberg had been lifted off of his shoulders. Not only did he have his father back, but his beloved Suki as well. She looked so different without her Kyoshi Warrior makeup on, but, as Sokka would state, that could work to their advantage at some point.

The only individual not pleased for a bit that evening was Toph, but that was only because she was hungry and had been genuinely anticipating a meaty supper that night. As introductions and happy conversations were to be had, she forgot her hunger and joined in.

Jit-Seng did not go without welcome. As it turned out, he had secretly protected Pipsqueak and The Duke once, and when it was found out that he had been 'harboring the enemy,' he was branded a traitor and sent to the Boiling Rock to rot. The Duke was overjoyed to see him, as he had not had a chance to thank the man for his help at the time.

The temple was bubbling with joy. From the side, Aang observed the happy goings on with a bittersweet smile.

_How many of us will survive this war? Will there be a chance like this ever again?_

Aang turned his attention to the architecture above him. Swirling patterns, reminiscent of rolling wind currents brought back memories. Sometimes, on nights like these, the Air Nomads would throw parties just for the sake of doing so. He and Gyatso would bake his famous jelly cakes, and if there were any sourpusses present, they'd have the misfortune of being crowned with them.

_Wasn't there a music room on the upper floor of this temple?_

A smile broadened on his face, and as the miscellaneous chatter died down for a moment, Aang cut in.

"This is definitely a cause for celebration!" he stated to all present. "And seeing as how there's a music room right upstairs, I say we party tonight in honor of our reunited friends, old and new."

"There is?" The Duke blinked.

"You went to bed early that night." Teo explained to the child. "But Haru and I went exploring a little longer. It's loaded with all kinds of instruments."

"But who here can even play a musical instrument?" Haru chipped in.

"I played the taiko drum when I was in school ages ago." Said Jit-Seng.

"I found a pipa when me and my dad were living at the other Air Temple." Teo added. "I played with it a bit to see if I could teach myself. Don't know how good I am or if I was actually playing it the right way, but it sounded good to me when I played it."

"That could work great!" Aang beamed.

"My uncle actually taught me the tsungi horn years ago…" Zuko scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Then it's settled then!" Aang beamed. "Tonight, we party!"

"Hold on, TwinkleToes!" Toph stamped. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Like what?"

"Like food! Seriously, what's a party without FOOD!?"

Aang paused for a moment, thinking. His face lit up warmly.

"Not a problem!" he said. Then taking Katara's hand, he added. "Come on, I'm going to need your help."

* * *

Aang led Katara by the hand through the winding hallways of the temple, carefully firebending a small flame to light the way. Upon reaching a certain door, he looked as though he were mentally counting something. Reassured his calculations were correct, he opened the door to reveal and old, but very neat kitchen.

A long counter stretched around the perimeter of the room with the exception of the doorways. Two long island structures stood in the center of the room, the tops of which were polished marble. Pots, pans, bowls, and woks hung from beautifully styled racks hanging from the ceiling.

When Katara opened a door at the back end of the kitchen, she had been anticipating a pantry. What she hadn't anticipated was the breathtaking view before her. A sprawl of various plant gardens, slightly overgrown from centuries of inattendance, lay before her. Here and there were small fruits and vegetables, both ripe and unripe. Beyond the small, tier-layered gardens were the open skies; they were at such an elevation here that one could look up or down to see white puffy clouds misting by.

Katara only came out of her trance when Aang touched her shoulder. She jumped slightly, but did not cry out. He was watching the view with her, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly before turning to her and speaking.

"Nice pantry, huh?" he smirked. Katara could only giggle in response. "Here's what we can do. I'll start gathering ingredients. Could you dig up the bowls, utensils and other stuff for me?"

"Sure thing." She nodded.

They went to work with gusto. With every return trip from the gardens, Aang seemed to bring back armfuls of plants and fruits, most of which Katara had never seen before. Aang seemed to arrange them on the islands in a neat order, though by what order Katara could not tell. She was busy finding all the cooking equipment she had been asked to pull out. Soon, everything they needed lay before them on the islands and counters.

Two large, stone stoves were stuffed with firewood and lit to a roaring orange glow. With Aang's assistance, Katara began preparing all manner of recipes completely new to her. Soon, the kitchen wafted with all kinds of delicious smells.

Aang set about making a huge salad, and nothing was quite so amusing as watching an airbender cook at work. Rather than using utensils, Aang airbent the leafy ingredients almost up to the ceiling before twisting the air slightly and mixing the salad more evenly. The repeated movements Aang was using reminded Katara of a conductor directing his orchestra.

In the meantime, Katara busied herself with a stew that smelled sweet, yet strongly herbal. She was amazed by how quickly it thickened up, and when Aang checked up on it, he lowered the flame below it to keep it from overcooking. Together, they prepared nothing short of a great feast for themselves and the others waiting in the main hall.

At first, Katara thought that Aang had gone a little overboard when he had prepared more jelly aircakes than the entire group could possibly eat. A mischievous smirk sprawled over his face, and his voice echoed his expression flawlessly.

"Trust me." He said. "That's no accident!"

* * *

Down below in the main hall, the makeshift 'band' was busy tuning their instruments and warming up their playing fingers. A string needed to be replaced on the pipa Teo had, and Jit-Seng was in need of a second drumstick. With a smile, Toph managed to pilfer Sokka's cudgel and blatantly offered it to the former prisoner. Naturally, Sokka was none too pleased, but he was in too much of a good mood to argue it much.

The smells of food wafted down from the kitchen to the hungry crowd below it. Toph drooled at the very thought of whatever was going to be supper while Sokka grumbled that he couldn't seem to smell any meat. This earned him a solid punch in the arm from the blind girl.

"Does it have to be meat all the time for you?" Toph quipped.

"You're one to talk!" Sokka fired back. "Weren't you the one who was all mad 'cause I didn't bring any back with me?"

"Yeah, but right now, I'm so hungry that I don't care if it's meat or not. Just so long as it's food! And lots of it!"

"Speaking of food," Suki chimed in. "I imagine it's gotta be done by now, if not soon."

"Maybe I should go see if they need help bringing it down." Sokka suggested, starting for the stairs.

"Naw, I've got it." Toph pushed past him. "Besides, can you earthbend a huge pot of soup down a long flight of stairs without spilling it?" She paused. "Didn't think so." And with that, she dashed up the stairs.

* * *

Up in the kitchen, the cooking was done, with only a few dishes still bubbling over red coals. Aang and Katara had somehow wound up in a taste testing game that was getting more and more flirty by the moment.

It had started with a remark from Katara about a small red fruit Aang had brought in from the garden. Aang sliced it in half while trying to describe the taste of it. The next thing Katara knew, Aang had playfully slipped a piece into her mouth. She stared at him wide-eyed, and his mirthful eyes conveyed his playful mood.

"There!" he giggled. "Now THAT saves us a whole lot of explanation!"

Katara chewed the fruit thoughtfully, learning the taste for the first time and enjoying it. How could she return that kind of 'attack' on him?

"Is it good?" Aang asked when she seemed to stare off into space a bit.

"I don't know, Aang…" Katara suddenly closed the distance between them, her voice low and seductive. "Why don't you tell me?"

She caught him in a deep, open-mouthed kiss that made him freeze up in surprise. It took a moment for his mind to register what was going on, but when it did, he gave himself up to it. Pulling back slowly, Katara stared into his eyes, her own heavily lidded ones drinking in the sight of his tinted cheeks. When Aang didn't say anything, she reached for his face and gently caressed it with her fingertips.

"They don't taste the way I remember them…" said Aang dreamily. "They taste… better."

"Really…?" Katara whispered in like manner.

Aang nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. Feeling playful, Katara reached for another bit of food to 'sample': some tiny orange berries that she had mixed into the soup earlier. Aang raised a quizzical brow, and as Katara popped the berries into her mouth, she immediately understood his expression; these berries were HOT! Her face flushed red and she fanned her hand in front of her mouth to stave off the burning sensation.

"Burn berries." Aang stated with a laugh. "I was gonna warn you."

Unable to speak at the moment, Katara shot him a fake look of anger before pulling him into another deep kiss. As a sort of vengeance, she gave him some of the berries, causing his eyes to water from the strong flavor. Instead of pulling back, Aang accepted them, pulling Katara into his arms securely.

Finally unable to stand the heat any more, they broke apart for air. Katara bent some water out of the pump basin and drank it down. Aang looked away for a moment, then exhaled a burst of flame from his mouth straight up into the air. Both took a moment to compose themselves and cool down.

Their eyes locked, and Katara was certain no food would get to the party if they stayed there in the kitchen. Neither seemed bothered by this however. She reached out to cup his cheek in her hand and felt Aang's sweat-dampened skin against her palm. They leaned into one another slowly, their lips brushing against one another.

"Seems like food's not the only thing boiling up here!" came Toph's voice with a snicker.


	6. Chapter 6

The earthbender couldn't resist a smile at the sound of two very surprised people jumping apart and backing into the counters and islands respectively. Despite Toph's blindness, Aang rubbed his face as though to dissipate the flustered look on it.

"Is the food ready yet?" Toph continued, the devilish smirk never leaving her face.

"We're just—yeah…" Katara sputtered. "There's just one more that needs a few more minutes…"

"You know, you're both lucky it's me that came up here and not Sokka. He was going to come up here himself, but I beat him to it."

"Thanks…" Aang managed to sputter.

Toph took a few deep breaths, savoring all the delicious smells around her. Her mouth watered, but she kept herself composed.

"Do you need help getting this downstairs?" she asked.

"We do." Katara replied. "We were going to put it in smaller bowls and carry it down ourselves, but if you've got a better way—"

"—I do." Toph interrupted, touching the kitchen floor and seeing the layout of the temple with her bending. Getting back up, she spread her arms wide. "Stand back!"

A few solid motions and the floor beneath the giant cauldron became a platform that lowered its load securely to the bottom floor. There was a neat, perfectly circular hole in the kitchen where the cauldron had been.

"What about the floor?" asked Aang.

"We'll fix it after we move it to the courtyard." Toph replied. "Any other big loads needing to go down?"

"I think we've got it from here on out." Said Aang. "Thanks Toph!"

"No problem." She smirked. "Oh, and don't worry. I won't tell Sokka you two were smooching up here!"

"Thank you…" Katara let go of the relieved breath she'd been holding.

The party hit it off with barely a hitch. The 'musicians' got off to a bit of a clumsy start, with the main issue being familiarity, or unfamiliarity for that matter, of the music of choice. But with some help from sheet music from the music room and strong memories, they managed to come together rather decently.

The feast started off with what Aang called Desert Wind soup. It had a smooth herbal taste with a little spicy bite to it. It had been this recipe, Katara recalled, that she had added the burn berries into.

Then, there had been the salad; the greens used were not large-leafed as a traditional one would have, but rather smaller, reedy herbs mixed with crunchy nuts and even some fruit. Sokka would have remarked about it being rabbaroo food, but sharp elbow jabs from Suki and Toph, on each side of him, cut him short.

A flaky, cornbread-like pie was the main course. It had a strong herbal taste that would make even the most die-hard carnivore water at the mouth. Suki remarked how similar it was to a native Earth Kingdom dish. Zuko seemed rather surprised that it was not spicy, given that most Fire Nation dishes were very hot on the tongue. Jit-Seng laughed that it was the first meal in a long time that didn't upset his stomach.

Dessert was none other than the air cakes that Aang himself had whipped up. The three different colors denoted the three flavors that there were to be had: red, green, and blue. The red one was flavored with the fruit Aang had given Katara to sample up in the kitchen. The green one was sweet and citrusy, and the blue one had a smooth, but tart taste to it.

After the meal, the musicians picked up their instruments again to lighten the atmosphere. They started off with some soft, air nomad melodies before moving on to the stronger, louder earth kingdom tones. They had to stop at one point because of Toph; absently tapping her foot to the beat, she was unintentionally earthbending small tremors that increased in force over time. Only when Jit-Seng fell over did she realize what she was doing, apologized, and stopped.

"Sokka, dance with me!" Suki whispered suddenly to water tribe boy beside her.

"What!?" Sokka nearly choked on his dessert. "Dance? I don't know the first thing about dan—"

"—I'll show you!" she suddenly leapt up and pulled him with her out to the more open area. Poor Sokka had no chance to protest. Suki pulled his ear in close and whispered. "Remember our Kyoshi Warrior training?"

"Y-yeah?"

"OK THEN!"

She feinted several invisible fan swipes at him, and for a few numb moments, Sokka was unsure of what to do. But as he recognized the kata from when he initially met Suki, he mimicked the same feints and false blows, turning the fighting maneuvers into an intricate dance with his beloved Suki.

The onlookers made clear their approval. The Duke hooted and hollered. A warm smile broadened on Chief Hakoda's face.

"That guy's pretty good!" remarked Jit-Seng.

"That's my son." Hakoda replied warmly.

As the music picked up in tempo, Sokka seemed to lose a bit of his edge, but that didn't seem to stop him. The kicks and dodges were getting closer and closer, and just as the song came to a close, a delay to dodge on Sokka's end wound up as a none-too-light punch to the face. After countless apologies and laughing it off, both sat back down. Katara froze some water for Suki to nurse her sweetheart's cheek while Sokka silently nursed his wounded pride.

During the intermission, Toph wandered over to the band and whispered something in Zuko's ear. The fire prince gave her a curious look, but when she made a gesture like she was going to punch his arm, he quickly nodded. Satisfied, the young girl returned to her seat.

"What was that all about?" Aang asked.

"Nothing, Twinkle-Toes!" Toph replied, a large, mischievous grin widening.

The band stirred up a loud, upbeat Fire Nation melody. The song was immediately recognized by Aang and Katara, and memories of a secret dance party welled to the surface afresh. If Toph could have grinned any more, she certainly would have. The skip in her friends' heartbeats told her this choice of song had had the desired effect.

Aang and Katara glanced shyly at one another, a rosy color rising in their cheeks. With a nod from Katara, Aang pulled her out into the open area, where they bowed to one another to commence. Extending their arms to one another and touching wrists, they went through the motions of their first dance as though it had just been the day before.

"Wow!" remarked Suki. "They're pretty good!"

"Aw, they're just show-offs!" Sokka huffed.

A feint, a false jab, and a cross-crouch led to a half spin and high somersaults. Aang spun in toward her, and Katara turned likewise. Though their lips never met, the heat of one another's breath on their faces did not go unnoticed. Suki ooh'd and Toph laughed. Sokka glared, but made no other indication of what he thought. Hakoda seemed mildly surprised, but smiled.

A tumble and twirl later, Aang caught her in his arms and dipped her low. An applause went up, but neither of the dancers paid heed to any of it, for they only cared to gaze into one another's sweat-dampened faces.

There had been more music, more dessert, and of course, some more dancing. Despite Sokka's best efforts, he and Suki could not seem to outdo his sister and the Avatar. When he sat down grumbling, his back was turned to the air cake that flew straight towards him.

Tired and partied out, the group cleaned and setup their supplies for the night. The skies above were clear, but all slept where they could be protected from the elements. After all, Katara reasoned, it could still rain even during the dry season.

* * *

I know, I know, not much really happens here. Just some drabble while I piece together the next chapter AND struggle to keep it perfectly canon with the series. Now that the new episodes have aired, I think the only real difficult one to work around is "Ember Island Players", predominantly due to the Kataang intermission scene. No matter, I'll try figuring something out.

From the reviews I'm getting, I see my readers want a definite yes or no answer as to whether Katara is pregnant or not. My answer? I'm not telling! I'm going to keep you in suspense about it until I'm ready to reveal if she is or not. You'll just have to be patient.

As usual, R&R people if you want me to work faster!


	7. Chapter 7

Aang was naturally a light sleeper and accustomed to waking long before the rest of the group. Sokka used to complain about being disturbed so early in the day, but as time went on, he found it to be a good thing. After all, it helped them all to get a good head start on the day and make the most of it.

Sokka had left his hair down throughout the night. It had taken quite a bit of scrubbing to get every last bit of air cake out of his hair after Aang had mirthfully plastered him with it. Not that having his hair unbound was a bad thing; he found it more comfortable to sleep without his wolf tail.

Katara had had a contented smile throughout the night. The joy of dancing with Aang at the party carried on into her dreams, and she felt she could never have enough of them. She snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag, unwilling to rejoin the waking world just yet.

The morning after the party commenced with a bang, and not of the good variety. Aang had opened his eyes just in time to see a Fire Nation bomb come hurtling at him. Quick to react, he airbent it safely away from the others, still curled in their beds. More bombs came flying in, and Aang had no time between them to do anything else.

The explosions set everyone into action. Grabbing their things, they hurried to escape. They meant to all rush down a tunnel Toph had made in a temple wall, but Appa would have none of it. Thus, the group was divided in twine with plans to reunite later on.

Leading the assault was Azula, her wicked grin beaming with bloodlust at the group below. Zuko was quick to intercept her, even at the risk of falling to his death. By distracting Azula, Zuko had made it easier for Appa and the others to escape their attackers. In turn, they swooped down to catch him as he and Azula plunged off the sides of an airship. The fire prince scowled as his sister yet again managed to cheat death.

After their escape, the main group set up camp for the night. Zuko was thanked for his help by all—with the exception of Katara. Despite Zuko's help in returning her father to her, she still did not trust him completely. Now that they'd been separated once again, old hostilities crept back in. After a private, angry exchange with the fire prince, Katara had stormed back to camp and to her tent for the night.

Concerned about her negative mood, Aang cautiously made his way to Katara's tent. He peered all around, making sure that Sokka was nowhere to be seen. Satisfied, he asked to come in and she let him.

"What's wrong, Katara?" he asked. "You looked mad when you came back."

She looked away and snorted sharply through her nose, the angry look still on her face.

"It's Zuko." She said. "I don't know how the rest of you can trust him so easily, after all that he's done to us."

"Katara…" Aang tried to make eye contact, but when she was mad, he had learned over time, it was not to be had unless she willingly gave it.

"After hunting us relentlessly, trying to kill us, trying to make up for it helping Ba Sing Se to fall, and THEN coming out of nowhere and asking to join us?" she clenched her teeth and finally turned to Aang. "Don't you think that's just a LITTLE suspicious, Aang?"

"It does. I'm not going to lie. But the truth is, he sounded sincere and Toph confirmed that he was being sincere. He's been helping us out by teaching me firebending, getting Suki and your father out of prison, and fighting off Azula to help us escape today. Yes, he's done us a lot of harm in the past, and now he's trying to make up for it."

"He's on his second chance. And I think he's trying too hard. What if this is some sort of trick to get our guard down?"

"I really don't think that's the case, Katara. Maybe if you spent time and worked with him like me and Sokka did, maybe you'd at least consider changing your mind."

"Oh! Right! And by tomorrow, Momo will be earthbending. That sounds likely!"

Aang sighed and shook his head.

"Please, Katara…" he pleaded gently. "At least think about it. Won't you do at least that much? For me?"

She looked at him directly, weary, but unable to say no to his storm gray eyes.

"Fine…" she sighed. "I'll at least _think_ about it."

A small smile cracked on Aang's face. He planted a quick kiss on her cheek and left.

* * *

There was no smile to Katara's face for the remainder of the night. Old memories, stirred by the previous day's conversations, replayed in her dreams. They taunted her remorselessly, rubbing her mother's demise repeatedly in her face.

_The snowball fight, the black snow, her mother's final words to her… and that Fire Nation man with the cold, cold eyes…_

_Something changed in her dream… she moved her arms to waterbend… to stop this horror from becoming reality. But the little arms did nothing, and no water bent to her will…_

She bolted up suddenly, coming awake and realizing that she'd been dreaming. Waterbending a mirror from her flask, Katara gazed at her reflection. The face staring back looked tormented and ragged from thrashing throughout the night. Bending it back, she exited her tent.

The last person she had wanted to see first thing in the morning was sitting right outside of her tent. She gave no olive branch and proceeded to brush her hair.

"I know who killed your mother…"

* * *

There was a side to Katara, Sokka knew all too well, that was dangerous, and that was when she was mad. Not just angry or irritated, but full-blown furious. In such a mood, Sokka and even the unyielding Toph gave Katara a wide berth. Aang twice attempted to talk her to calmness, but she refused to be dissuaded. The second attempt, however, something in Aang's words had stuck.

"This is a journey you need to take… you need to face this man…"

Katara had anticipated Aang trying to convince her not to seek the murderer out. She had been surprised by his words, but neither said nor showed it.

"… _But when you do… please don't choose revenge…"_

Wasn't that what this was about…?

"…_let your anger out… and then let it go…"_

After all of their work tracking the Southern Raiders down, the captain had not been the man they'd been looking for. Perhaps that was a good thing, Katara mentally reasoned as they left the ship. Cooling down from the anti-climactic raid, she realized she would have killed the man had he not been the wrong individual. She had bloodbent him into submission, almost gleefully twisting his limbs painfully against their will. Both of these things she had sworn never to do, and yet in a fit of rage, she had nearly committed both. It terrified her, and her eyes, wet with fury, now trickled with fear of her own temper. When Zuko wasn't looking, she wiped them away.

* * *

She hadn't killed him. Perhaps by sheer force of will or utter disgust, Katara had restrained herself. There was a numbness to her mind that she couldn't shake. After she and Zuko had left Yan Ra sobbing pathetically in the rain, Katara realized halfway on their trip back that she needed some time to gather her thoughts. The Fire Prince had insisted they rejoin the others first, but Katara persisted, and so he left her on the docks alone. It didn't take long for Zuko to return though, and he had brought a very worried Aang with him.

* * *

Later that evening, Katara was still lost in her own thoughts. She'd nearly missed bending soup to Appa's mouth and it fell to Suki and Sokka to finish the stew she had started cooking. She had even neglected Aang's vegetarian supper, but the Avatar didn't dare bring it up. Besides, as part of some meditation practices long ago, he had had to forego food multiple times, so a little stomach grumble was nothing he was unaccustomed to.

After supper was done and cleaned up, Katara had quietly retreated to her tent for the night. Concerned, Aang approached the tent and knocked lightly on one of the poles.

"Who is it?" she said absently.

"Me." Aang replied. "Can I come in?"

The door flap was parted from the inside and Aang entered. Katara looked at him, but her eyes were distant. The day's events were still plaguing her.

"Do you want to talk?" he said softly.

"Aang… I…" she started, then clenched tightly onto something in her hand. By the deep blue ribbon dangling from her hand, it was clearly her mother's necklace Katara had been clinging to.

"I know it hurts…" he took her clenched fist in his hands. "like boarqupine quills in your chest. And the worst part is that even when it's over, it still hurts."

Aang felt the splash of hot tears wetting his hands. Giving hers a gentle squeeze, he continued.

"I remember feeling this kind of pain… this kind of rage… and I remember someone telling me that I still had a family even though my first one was gone."

Katara sniffled, and Aang leaned his forehead in to touch hers. He never let go of her hands, and could feel her trembling.

"Katara… I know… I know that I'm no replacement for your mother or other loved ones that you've lost. But I will tell you the same thing you told me long ago. I will be your family now. Me, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and Suki… and your dad and the others are still out there. You are not alone; we are your family."

She reached for him suddenly, pulling him into a tight embrace and sobbing into his chest. Aang wrapped his arms protectively around her, stroking her hair as she soaked part of his robe. She had dropped her mother's necklace in the process, but to Aang, this only reinforced that she had understood and accepted his words as truth. Soothingly, he planted soft kisses on her head.

"No one is ever really gone." Aang shifted slightly with letting go of her. "As long as you remember them…"

His hand positioned itself chastely on her chest, directly over her heart.

"As long as they're right here… they're never really gone…"

Her hand closed over his and held it firmly. That simple, warming touch calmed her and the tears slowed to a stop. It was some time before either of them made a sound.

"Aang…?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you…"

"Are you going to be ok?"

She nodded, and he kissed her forehead again. Then he retrieved the dropped necklace and placed it first in her palm, then thought better to put it back on her. Only when he was tying it did it hit him exactly _what_ he was doing.

"_I-I'm…putting it on her…I'm putting an ENGAGEMENT necklace on Katara…!"_

He hoped the dim light in the tent hid the startled blush painting his normally pale cheeks. If she had noticed or thought anything of his actions, Katara didn't say anything.

"All set." He breathed when he was done.

She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. As much as Aang longed to stare back, he didn't want to risk her seeing his blush.

"I… should go before Sokka shows up…"

"Right…"

One hand went to the tent entrance, but the other reached out to caress her face one more time before Aang took his leave of her for the night. Katara continued to stare at the canvas for a few moments more after Aang left—just in case he came back.

The next morning, at Zuko's suggestion, the group relocated to the last place anyone would have considered safe—the Fire Lord's abandoned summer house. The Fire Prince had to reassure them all repeatedly that no one would even think to come looking for them there. After two tense, restless nights of fearing discovery, the group finally relaxed and settled into their new 'camp' site.

On the fourth day there, as Zuko and Aang were finishing up their firebending routine for the morning, Sokka and Suki returned from their trip to the market. Both were very excited and spoke animatedly as Sokka unfurled an advertisement he had tucked under his arm.

"You guys are not going to believe this…"

* * *

Ok, this chapter was overdue, but that's cuz I keep falling asleep at the keyboard! My mind is working, piecing the events I want to put in this together, but the consciousness to do so is lacking due to work and poor-quality sleep.

I'm still not telling if Katara's knocked up or not. Haha!

Shit, the next chapter's gonna be a bitch to do cuz it's the Ember Island Players one... how the fuck am I going to keep this canon and that Kataang scene from fucking me up? I WILL find a way, I promise! Suggestions welcome though.


	8. Chapter 8

The comet came, and the comet passed. Oh, but what a day it had been! Or had it been a night sky, tinted bloody crimson by the comet?

It had been difficult when word had gotten out that the Fire Lord had been defeated without being killed. Even with Ozai dethroned and stripped of his firebending, there were those who still called for his death. Zuko, now the true Fire Lord, had his father imprisoned both as punishment as well as his safety.

Despite putting on a strong face, the battle had taken a lot out of Avatar Aang. After finally escaping the public eye, with their endless thanks, discussions, and congratulations, Aang managed to retreat to The Jasmine Dragon in liberated Ba Sing Se. The rest of the group was there, each occupied in one form of relaxation or another, their minds able to be peace with the war past them.

Aang moved out to the balcony to admire the rosy sunset. The soft footsteps behind him told him it was Katara who approached. He would never have admitted it out loud, but of all the lovely attire she had ever donned, the Fire Nation silks and Painted Lady garb were his favorites. But that didn't mean she wasn't pretty in anything else! She approached the balcony ledge, glancing at the skies before her, then to the boy beside her.

No.

Young as he was, Aang was no child. Under normal circumstances, the Avatar would not even be revealed until he was sixteen years of age. Only then could mastery of the remaining three elements commence. But as fate would have it, the past one hundred years yielded anything but normal circumstances. Thus it was that he had not only mastered every element at the age of twelve, but also defeated a blazing tyrant intent on setting all the world aflame.

Katara gazed at him, and he returned her look. Her cheeks, tinted scarlet, beamed her love silently. They pulled one another into a tight, warm embrace.

_To think… we could have lost this… lost each other… Oh Spirits… thank you for your help and mercy…_

Their second glance at the setting sun was much shorter than the first, for the sight of one another was just so much more beautiful. And they kissed. Not the light, fleeting cheek brushings of the past, but a deep one that Katara initiated and Aang reciprocated eagerly. Entranced, they entwined their arms around each other tightly.

The war was over; it was time for a new beginning.

* * *

Aang made it clear that he wanted to rest for a few days more before attending to any Avatar related responsibilities. As it happened, Pakku and Hakoda came for a visit. This reminded Aang that he had some personal responsibilities to fulfill, but he needed advice from someone of the Water Tribe. Hakoda and Sokka, he reasoned, were not the individuals he felt would be appropriate to ask, but perhaps Pakku would be kind enough to help. Catching Pakku alone one night going over some waterbending, Aang approached and bowed politely.

"Well, Avatar Aang." The older man acknowledged the younger one's presence. "What brings you out at this hour? Did you need to speak to me?"

"I do." Aang replied. "I'm hoping you can help me with a personal matter, and since you've done this recently, I thought it would only be right to ask you."

"I'm listening."

* * *

Standing in the doorway of Katara's room, Aang sighed as he gazed longingly at her sleeping form. Quietly, he opened the scrap of parchment he had inscribed a note on to review its contents. Satisfied, he re-rolled it. There was no sound to his steps as he placed it on the nightstand. He ghosted a kiss on her cheek, then retreated from the room.

Iroh and the others currently residing at The Jasmine Dragon were very happy the tea shop was not situated near a large body of water. If it had been, it likely would have been crushed or swept away by Katara's flood of anger. She had found the note on her nightstand, and she was NOT pleased.

"How could he just leave in the middle of the night!?" she bellowed incredulously, the last words melting to an anguished wail.

"Whoa! Slow down, Katara!" Sokka put his hands up defensively. "Who left?"

"Aang." She held the note to Sokka, who took it and read it out loud.

_**Dear Katara,**_

_**There are some very important things that I need to do far from here. I would have told you, but you would have insisted on coming, and I need to do this alone. I promise that I will be back in about a week. Please try not to be too mad at me!**_

_**Aang**_

"What could he possibly have to suddenly do that he couldn't tell or take the rest of us with him?" Katara's fists tightened white.

"Katara, I'm sure that whatever he's doing, it's important and he'll tell us all about it when he gets back."

"Yeah," Toph chipped in. "Remember what happened last time he disappeared? He learned to take away the old Fire Lord's bending. For all we know he's probably meditating on top of a mountain or something."

"The Air Nomad Temples! Of course!" Katara exclaimed, racing towards the courtyard. "I'll just take Appa and—"

She stopped in mid-sentence when she slid the door open to find that neither the sky bison nor the lemur were to be found. Aang had to have taken them with him. Defeated, she slid to her knees, an angry hiss almost sounding like a curse word.

Iroh approached her slowly, a single cup of tea on the tray he offered to her. Katara just looked up at him, hoping for an answer.

"I would not worry myself so much." Iroh said with a small smile. "He promised that he would come back in a week, and I'm sure he will. Your brother is right; he will likely tell you all about it when he returns."

Katara looked at the offered tea and calmly took it. Sipping it, she did not see the glance that Iroh shot to Pakku. The Waterbender conveniently had his mouth full of delicious soba noodles.

* * *

Aang scoured the snow-covered beach of the South Pole, searching critically for just one little thing. The site of something else where the waves met the land interrupted his search. Scowling, he made quick work to rectify it.

It was only after that that Aang found just was he had been looking for. Pocketing it, the Avatar hopped onto Appa and away they flew, off to the mountain tops of the Southern Air Temple. Momo came to rest on his shoulder.

* * *

Three, four, five days passed before Appa finally appeared on the horizon with Aang and Momo in tow. Katara all but tackled him when he slid off the bison, her joy at his return showing first before her irritation.

"Where have you been?" she struggled not to yell. "We've been worried sick about you! What could've been so important to just leave like that with no forewarning?"

Aang sheepishly removed her hands from his shoulders just in case she decided to choke him.

"I'll explain everything tonight." Aang said with a boyish smile. "But I'm kinda hungry right now. Did you guys have lunch yet?"

Sokka, Suki and Toph snickered behind them.

"Not yet, but I'll let Iroh know you're back so you're not left out."

"Thanks, Katara."

Lunch proved to be a joyful and chatty occasion, but mysterious as well. No matter what anyone asked Aang in regards to his sudden trip, he dodged each question as easily as the Airbender he was. Defeated, the conversation moved onto other subjects, such as Toph's improved sand bending and Sokka's decision to forge a replacement sword once his leg healed.

Only Pakku and Iroh refrained from asking any questions. The two White Lotus members knew where Aang had gone and why, but they certainly weren't letting that on to the younger people among them. Pakku had promised Aang that only Iroh would know besides himself, and he intended to keep things that way until Aang said otherwise.

* * *

After lunch, Aang excused himself to his quarters to prepare for the challenge ahead. He knew this moment was coming and had dreaded it, but there was no turning back now. If he did not do this now, he might not get the nerve again for some time, and Aang was tired of waiting.

Slowly, almost tiptoeing, Aang walked down the hallway to the room where Chief Hakoda was staying. He had to take a deep breath before rapping lightly on the door.

"Yes?" came the other man's voice.

"It's Aang, Chief Hakoda. Can I come in?"

The door opened and Aang went in. From the light décor of the room, it was obvious that the Water Tribe leader had brought some things from the South Pole with him to create a more at home feel in his temporary lodging. Two masks hung from the walls, one resembling a wolf and the other was a face, painted blue and white to resemble a crescent moon. A tiger-seal coverlet lay spread out on the bed, and a saber-toothed polar bear pelt rug contrasted well against the wooden floor.

"Is there something you needed to see me about, Aang? Hakoda gestured that the boy could sit on the bed if he liked.

"There is." Aang replied shakily. "Chief Hakoda, I've come to ask you… if I could… marry Katara. She means more to me than all the bending power in the world. I've… done everything in my power to protect her and show her I care. She's saved my life, and I'll always be in debt to her for that…"

Hakoda looked mildly surprised, but his eyes were warm and friendly.

"But before you answer, please… don't judge me because I'm the Avatar or because of the things I've done for this world. Judge me for who I really am,… as just plain Aang…"

There was a very tense moment of silence, and for a few, numbing seconds, Aang was certain that Hakoda was going to say no.

_Please… I don't know what I'd do without her…_

"I accept, Aang." The older man finally responded. "I could not have anyone better ask to marry her. I suspected as much for a while, but thought you might have waited until at least a year or two from now. And she loves you very much. I see it in her eyes whenever she looks at you or hears your name. Yes, Aang, you have my blessing.

As though Appa had landed on him, then swiftly lifted off, a great burden was lifted from the boy's shoulders, and he couldn't contain his excitement!

"Yeah!" Aang leapt in the air, heedless of the serious atmosphere that pervaded the room only seconds ago. With a loud whoop, he sped out of the room. Then, suddenly remembering his manners, returned just as rapidly and bowed "Thank you" to his future father in law before zooming down the hall again.

Aang's joyful cry was heard even downstairs in the private tea room, where Sokka was attempting to paint again.

"What's he so happy about?" he quirked an eyebrow, shrugged, then resumed his artwork.

* * *

Taking the advice of my reviewers and realizing I'll just drag this story out longer than it has to be if I push it too much, I've decided to NOT bother with the Ember Island Players episode. We can assume that the Kataang scene went differently to better fit the context of this story, but to actually write it all out would be too much unneeded fuss for me and you.

I actually had started writing the Ember Island Player stuff, then stopped in favor of pushing the story forward so we can get to more smexytimes faster. I'm thinking of posting the unused stuff together with the epilogue chapter when I finally finish this so that you can all see what didn't make it.

And I've completely avoided the preggers question yet again! Haha!

As usual, like it or hate it, say something, and don't forget to be critical about it. A solid criticism helps me alot more than than just telling me that it was good/bad.


	9. Chapter 9

Aang was still running and jumping off of the walls when he spotted Katara coming to see what the noise was about. She sidestepped to avoid being run over, but Aang purposely swept her up and leapt up high, laughing all the while. Katara was thankful the building had a very high ceiling or else the two of them would have smacked right into it.

Calming down, Aang set her down and paused to catch his breath. Still caught in the excitement, Katara's knees gave out and she slumped to the floor. Aang's mirthful giggle tickled her ears, and despite having been terribly startled, she could not help but smile.

"What in the world has gotten into you?" she asked.

Aang knelt beside her, taking her hands into his own.

"I'll tell you later tonight, like I promised." He replied between breaths. "Until then, get your stuff together. We're leaving for the South Pole tonight."

"The South Pole?" she blinked. "Tonight? Aang, come on. Tell me what this is all about!"

"I told you I will." He smiled. "Please, just go get your things so that we can go."

"… All right." She uttered.

* * *

The flight to the South Pole was a long, quiet one. Their bellies full, Aang and Katara settled into their places on Appa. She fell asleep relatively fast, but Aang was accustomed to forcing consciousness on himself.

Hearing her soft snoring in the saddle, Aang carefully withdrew something from inside his robes, staring pensively at it. He turned it over in his palm, feeling scared and ecstatic all at once. The faintest sound of Katara shifting position made him shove the item quickly back into hiding.

Aang gazed up at the moon. It was a little over half full and still waxing. A bellow from Appa shifted the Airbender's attention forward. The icy continents of the South Pole had come into view.

* * *

He had chosen to land Appa some distance away from the village, for it was not his intention to go there yet. Katara had woken up, and was confused as to why they were where they were.

Aang pulled a small bag from the saddle and opened it. The smell of flying sardines wafted out as Katara watched him pull one out.

"What do you have those for?" she asked, taking the one he offered her.

"What do you think they're for?" he grinned broadly.

All around them, penguins were gathering. It had not taken long at all for the stench of flying sardines to touch their sensitive noses, and they were not about to ignore the opportunity for free food!

"I wanted to bring you penguin sledding again!" Aang smiled, raising the fish above his head to avoid being robbed too soon of it.

"We haven't done that in so long!" Katara giggled, dodging one beak and keeping another one at bay.

"Then let's not put it off any longer. Come on!"

Capturing a penguin apiece, they slid down the smooth, icy caves. The frozen air whipping by them rosied their cheeks, but they didn't care. All that mattered was the rush of wind and snowflakes as they sped at a frightening pace down towards the shore.

Reaching the bottom, they released their penguins and assessed where they were. The place was vaguely familiar, Katara was sure of it, but something was different… something was gone.

"The ship…!" her eyes darted around quickly.

"I got rid of it." Aang said seriously. "That boat will never haunt you or your village ever again."

Katara whipped around to face him. His eyes were warm, but firm. A smile crept onto her face, and an emotional wetness touched her eyes.

"Aang… I don't… I don't know what to say! Why did you do this? Is this what you did while you were away? Did you plan all of this?"

The Avatar's only response was to look away and smile shyly.

"Aang, I can't thank you enough! This is wonderful! Is there anything else you did on your trip?"

There was a moment so silent not even the wind dared to make a sound.

"Actually, Katara, there is."

He approached her slowly, stopping within an arm's length of her. Her eyes bore into his, and she suddenly became aware of just how serious he was being. It was so unlike him to do so for a long stretch, to the point where it started making her a little uneasy.

"You've been my friend. You've saved my life and cared for me since you found me. You've freed me in more ways than one, and been there for me even in… my worst moments…"

"Aang…" she whispered, awed.

The Avatar sank to his knees, ignoring the cold hardness of the ice beneath him.

"And I love you, Katara…with all the love of a lost nation…"

Aang's eyes and arrows glowed briefly, and his voice was that of all the past Avatars speaking at once. A single tear dared trickle down the girl's cheek.

"…and of all the lives past, present, and yet to be…"

He reached into his robe, clutching something tightly in his fist. Cupping his hands around it as though in prayer, Aang held his closed hands up to Katara, offering it to her.

"Katara…" he said in his own voice again. "Will you be my wife?"

Aang opened his hands, revealing the engagement necklace he had made for her himself. The dark blue polished stone was engraved with a design resembling a wind spiral curled up with a wave. Instead of the traditional aquatic blue, the silken ribbon was autumn red in color.

Katara's breath caught in her throat and she sank to her knees in front of him. She reached out and took the gift, turning the stone over in her hand to admire it. The backside had her name and his intricately carved into it. Suddenly, she remembered that she had a question to answer.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, tears of joy pouring down her cheeks. "Yes, Aang, I will! I accept!"

She hugged him suddenly, and losing his balance, Aang fell backwards, bringing her with him. His face peppered with kisses, he let loose a peal of rapturous laughter. They rolled over together, heedless of the frozen ground beneath them. Katara caught him in a deep kiss, and all sensation of cold deserted them.

Parting for air, Katara slowly drew herself off of him, only to have him grip her arms and keep her down.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked.

"No." he shook his head with a smile. "I'm perfectly fine."

Katara cocked her head to one side, eyeing him curiously. A faint blush tinted her cheeks.

"You're not thinking of… out here… are you?" she half-joked.

"What? No!" Aang suddenly seemed shocked that she would suggest such a thing. "Are you kidding me? We'd freeze to death out here!?"

"That's funny." She teased. "I seem to recall you NOT having a problem stripping down in the middle of winter to go riding elephant koi. How is that different from now?"

"Well,… um… For one thing, that was _just me_ in the water, and this—" he knocked on the frozen ground. "—is ice that we'd _both_ be exposed to… and I don't want you to fr--"

She cut him off with quick, rough kiss.

"I was joking, Aang." Katara touched noses with him.

"That's a relief!" Aang replied. "For a minute, I thought you were serious!"

She simply smiled and shook her head. The air grew serious again, and Aang sat himself up with her.

"Katara?"

"Yes?"

"How… do you feel about… kids?"

"I love children, Aang." Katara leaned in her forehead to touch his. She had an idea of where this conversation was heading, but just in case… "Why do you ask?"

"Because someday, I want to raise a family with you… in fact, I… kinda have to…"

"This is about the Air Nomads, isn't it?"

"Once I'm gone, the airbenders really will be extinct. I don't want to put any kind of pressure on you, Katara. I should have said something before asking you to marry me, but didn't know how to word it. If you had said no…"

She touched his shoulder, and he closed his hand around hers.

"If you had said no, then that really would have been it. I… don't think I could ever bring myself to… be with anyone else the way that I have been with you."

"Oh, Aang!" She pulled him tightly into her arms. "As many as you want… as many as you want…"

"But I know that it's painful…" he held her by the shoulders at arm's length, searching her eyes for any hint of doubt or uncertainty. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She responded without hesitation, and smiled warmly. "Just think; every airbender yet to be is going to have a little bit of you in them!"

"And a little bit of you too!" He brushed her cheek with his fingers, happiness flooding his features.

* * *

They decided not to go to the village for the night, opting instead to head north and camp out in one of the many forests of the Earth Kingdom. As the night was still a bit chilly, they laid out their sleeping bags in Appa's saddle and cuddled together for warmth.

They flirted and teased one another, sharing kisses and soft touches, but otherwise refrained from taking things much further. Katara had even been willing to pleasure him by hand, but Aang's airbender nature bid him not to 'waste life' in the heat of the moment and gently declined. Growing sleepy, Aang pulled Katara against him and curled up cozily behind her for the night.

* * *

The next morning saw Aang and Katara flying back to Ba Sing Se. Today, they would break the news to their family and friends. At Aang's insistence, Katara kept her mother's necklace now as a bracelet while the new engagement necklace decorated her throat. Her big, puffy coat concealed both from casual view, but that would work to her advantage, as she could show it only when she was ready to.

The welcome was warm and uproarious. Where they had gone was the question nearly everyone was asking.

"So, what did you have to do at home?" asked Sokka.

"We went penguin sledding for one thing." Katara beamed, the memory still fresh in her mind. "All the way down to where that Fire Nation ship used to be."

"What do you mean 'used to be'? It's still there… isn't it?"

"Nope." Aang chipped in. "No one will ever have to see that horrible thing again."

"Way to go, Twinkle-Toes!" Toph beamed.

"So then what happened?" Sokka continued.

"Then…" Katara said slowly, reaching to pull down the collar of her coat. "Aang gave me this."

The necklace came into view, and all manner of reactions were to be had. Sokka's jaw hit the floor, Suki wowed at its craftsmanship, and Hakoda congratulated his daughter warmly.

"Um, did you guys forget that I can't see it?" Toph barked after being left in suspense.

"She's got an engagement necklace from Aang." Suki explained.

"Is it on her neck?" the younger girl stepped towards Katara.

"It is." Katara answered.

Toph reached forward and touched the pendant lightly with her fingertips. Her eyes widened at the feel of the intricate details.

"Did you… make this, Twinkle-Toes!?" she blinked, a sense of awe in the earthbender's voice.

"I did." Aang replied. "Why?"

"You didn't earthbend it like this, did you?"

"Nope. All by hand, and boy, did my fingers cramp!"

"Whoa… even I can't do something like with my sandbending! That's so cool!"

"It seems that my nephew will not be the only one getting married this season." Iroh smiled.

"I should hope not!" added Pakku, finishing his tea. "By the way, Hakoda, are you going to pick Sokka up off the floor or just leave him there?"

"You… my sister…" Sokka stammered, finally some resemblance of a voice to speak with. "…Dad… DAD! YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS!?"

"Of course I did." Hakoda replied. "Aang came and talked to me yesterday about it."

"So that's what all that noise was about!" Sokka finally stood back up and approached Aang, extending his hand to him. The two boys stared silently for a moment; there seemed to be a silent acknowledgment between them before shaking hands. A bittersweet smile crossed the older boy's features.

* * *

The day went on with much celebration in light of the engagement. Despite the joyous air, Katara could not help but sense some melancholy about her brother. She would have to catch him alone to get him to open up to her; later that night would suit both perfectly.

After mostly everyone had gone off to bed, Katara found Sokka staring up at the full moon from the eastern balcony. He turned at the sound of her approach. She decided not to bother with small talk and get right to the point.

"Is something wrong, Sokka?" she asked.

"What? Why would something be wr—"

"I know you better than that. At least, I should hope that I do. What's on your mind?"

Sokka turned back towards the moon as if it would give him the answers he wanted.

"I want to tell Suki… the same thing, but…"

Realization struck Katara like lightening; her brother was divided between his new love and his first one.

"You're worried about Yue." She whispered loudly.

"I'm worried about messing up again."

"Sokka, you did everything that you could for Yue…"

"And it wasn't enough!" he slammed his hand against the wooden ledge. "What if the same thing happens to Suki? I couldn't live with myself if something like that happened again…"

"The war is over now. Something like that is not likely to happen again."

"Still… I …" his words drifted off, and something akin to embarrassment showed in his eyes. Katara approached to read them better, but he didn't want to look at her. He mumbled something quickly, but the only word Katara could make out was 'necklace'.

"What?"

"I don't know how to carve a necklace." He repeated through clenched teeth. "There, I said it. Are you happy now?"

"Is that what's really bugging you?"

"You've seen my drawings. They're terrible."

"They at least look something like what you wanted to do."

"You're just saying that because you're my sister."

"I'm saying it because it's true. Are you really that worried about carving one for Suki?"

"…yeah…"

Katara thought for a bit. Idly, she scratched an itch on her wrist, and suddenly a solution came to her.

"I think I can help you with that." She smiled. "Or rather… Mom can."

Sokka suddenly stared at her, and as if in answer to his inquiring look, she unbound her mother's necklace from her wrist and handed it to him. He took it from her as though it were some delicate, fragile piece, then stared at her, an almost incredulous countenance.

"But,… Katara," he stuttered. "You've never purposely let this out of your sight! It's all you've got left from Mom, and you're just giving it to me? To give to Suki?"

"I'm wearing Aang's now, and thanks to him and Zuko, I've found some closure in regards to Mom." A tear fell from her eyes, but she was smiling. "Hopefully, this will help you find some too."

Sokka stared down at the small heirloom pensively. His sister's words sunk in, and he clutched the necklace like he refused to let it go. Gran Gran had followed her own way, but brought it with her. She had given it to the shy Hakoda many years ago to give to her daughter Kya. When Kya had been killed, the necklace had become a bit of solace for Katara to cling to. Now, his own sister was passing it on to him. It was his turn to be healed by it.

"Thank you, Katara." He hugged her.

* * *

Yay! Finally another chapter! And this one's longer than the past few of them! Originally, I was just going to have the proposal and announcement, but felt that would be too little for just one chapter, so I included the Sokka stuff. Speaking of which, that just kinda came out as I was doing the announcement part.

I took a hint from another Avatar fanfic about Katara wearing her mother's necklace as a bracelet once Aang gave her his own. I even considered having Aang put it on her wrist and explaining that "she should not have to choose between him and her mother", but that would've been more of a rip-off of the other fic than I would have been comfortable with, so I left it just at the bracelet part. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the fic that the concept came from. To the author of that fic if s/he is reading this-- Kudos to you for that idea! Hope you're not mad I borrowed it for mine! Also, if anyone can tell me the name of the fic or its author that I'm referring to, please let me know so that I can give proper credit in my next chapter.

There will be smexings sometime soon. I just don't want to rush into it and make a mess of things. Thank you all for your patience, and I will try to get more of this fic out faster as time goes on.

As usual, please let me know what you guys think. Constructive criticism helps me out alot more than you think!


	10. Chapter 10

Fire Lord Zuko already had enough to worry about in regards to his own wedding preparations when a messenger hawk arrived with word of the Avatar's intentions to marry. Pausing to rub his temples, he sent for Mai to provide a much-needed distraction from the monotonous paperwork.

"Keep stressing like that and you'll look like your uncle in a few years." said Mai nonchalantly.

Zuko's weary eyes shifted in her direction and he smiled. Despite her mostly emotionless demeanor, in his presence she smiled and laxed the deadpan, upper-class rigidity. It was probably because of his insistence, even his frustration of her earlier hesitations to show emotion, that Mai allowed herself freer expression. But old habits are hard to break, and Mai would revert to them when anyone other than Zuko or close friends was present.

The Fire Lord dismissed his servants and Mai came up behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders. He dropped the brush he was writing with and purred under her touch. The simplicity of that moment put him more at ease than anticipated; it made him realize just how much stress ruling the nation put on him.

"A messenger hawk just came in a few minutes ago." He uttered. "The Avatar is getting married too."

"It's the Water Tribe girl I'm guessing?" Mai's fingers kneaded his shoulders, turning the Fire Lord into all but mush.

"Yeah…" Zuko drifted off. "Which means we'll be attending when the time comes."

"What kind of ceremony do you thing they'll have?" Mai dug in her thumbs, earning a pleasant groan from Zuko.

"They'll probably—" he suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, realizing he had no idea of the answer. "That's a good question."

"You don't know?"

"No, I really don't. I mean, it could be in Water Tribe tradition or Air Nomad, but…"

"But…?"

"Would anyone besides Aang even know how an Air Nomad wedding is performed?"

"There have to be records of it somewhere… like in the Air Temples."

Zuko lay his chin on his crossed arms as Mai's hands did wonders to his weary shoulders. His last conscious thought before sleep claimed him was of an autumn red glider and its rider leaping from the edge of the Western Air Temple into the canyons below.

* * *

Teo and his father were overjoyed to have Aang and his friends over for a visit. Since the war, they had returned to the Northern Air Temple, seeing as how despite originally arriving there as refugees, the old place had truly become their home. News of the Avatar's engagement sent everyone into party mode.

Much later that night, Aang led Katara up the long, winding stairways to the library. Like the pantry of the Western Air Temple, the library was just as incredibly vast and breathtaking. There were five huge levels packed to the brim with books but, Katara noticed, no ladders by which to ascend to them.

"The advanced and more complex reading is up on the higher levels." Aang explained. "And depending on how well you can airbend determines what you were allowed to read. Here."

He pulled a book at random from the first level shelf they were standing next to. It taught the basics of meditation and breathing techniques required for proper airbending. Replacing the book, Aang turned to Katara and grinned.

"Only an advanced airbender had the skill to get to the higher parts." He said. Suddenly sweeping her up bridal style in his arms, he leapt easily to the fourth level. "But sometimes, someone would cheat like that!"

"Did you ever 'cheat' or help someone else to?" Katara giggled.

"Well…" Aang looked away shyly. "Monk Gyatso _did_ once sneak me up here when no one was looking."

"Oh really!" she eyed him with mock anger, her expression like that of a mother who catches her child red handed stealing cookies. "And what kind of 'forbidden knowledge' did you read about, I wonder!"

"Stuff like…" Aang ran his fingers over several volumes, searching for one in particular. Finding it, he suddenly pulled it from the shelf and presented it to her. "—this!"

She ran her fingers lightly over the book's embossed cover. There was no title, but there was a picture of a beach shoreline. A few boulders stood out where the water met the land, and a great wave, having crashed against the boulders sent spray high into the air. It had definitely been skillfully detailed.

Opening the book, the title page read only _The Scented Courtyard_. Curious, Katara lifted the book closer and took a sniff. The volume smelled heavily of aged paper, but just noticeable was a touch of jasmine. She gave a small smile.

Had she bothered to glance at Aang, Katara would have noticed the faintest of color rising to his pale cheeks. But she did not and turned a few chapters into the tome:

_In kissing her_

_I have drunk from her mouth _

_Like a camelaphant that drinks from the oasis _

_Her embrace and the freshness of her mouth _

_Give me a languor that goes to my marrow_

Katara drew in a startled breath, realizing the nature of what she was reading. Her eyes darted up to Aang, who pretended to be staring intently at the high ceiling and barely suppressing a smirk. He chanced a look at her, and crimsoned deeper.

"This is the last kind of book I would expect to find in an Air Temple!" she finally said.

"Why?" he said simply, though a knowing grin was present. "Is it because of the whole 'meditate and detach' stuff?"

"Well…"

"It's ok. You're not the first to think that. Even a hundred years ago, a lot of the world thought that's what airbenders did in the temples all the time. But we did a lot of traveling too. We picked up all kinds of books and knowledge, then recorded them for later reference."

Aang took the book from her, flipped through some pages, then suddenly shut it.

"And besides…" he added, tracing the cover pattern idly with a finger. "If air nomads didn't… do these things, well… then how would there be new airbenders?"

"You're right." Katara said seductively. Her fingers rested on Aang's shoulders, and enticingly trailing up his neck to his jawline. Aang's surprised eyes followed her fingers, but made no objection. "How would there be more…?"

Her warm lips met his, conjuring a soft moan from him. Aang's arms circled her waist, pulling her closer and relishing her warmth. The book fell to the ground, forgotten, with little clatter.

Their hands wandered all over, mapping one another's bodies by touch. By her own boldness, Katara nudged Aang back against the books. He did not dare protest, as her body was pressed quite nicely against his.

Aang's back slid downwards against the shelves until he was seated on the floor, and Katara sank with him. Her hands slipped into his robe to touch his shoulders. But as the heavy fabric started falling away, he caught it, holding it on as he shot Katara a curious look.

"Here? In the library?" he asked.

"Why not?" she smirked. "You had no objections to the great outdoors."

"You know I won't… waste life, Katara."

"I understand… and you won't have to."

Aang's eyes widened as Katara shed her heavy coat from her shoulders. As she reached for her over shirt, he caught her wrists and pulled her against him. His eyes were still wide with surprise, but delighted.

"I have a better idea, if you're willing." He said. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

He pulled her into a sudden, deep kiss that left both of them flushed and gasping for air. Then he stood up and opened his glider.

"I'll be right back!"

"Aang! Wait! What about—"

But the airbender was out of hearing range by that point. So now here she was, stuck high up in an Air Temple library with no means to get down of her own accord.

"Always taking off on me!" She growled in frustration.

Idly, her hand brushed against the forgotten book. Curious and not knowing when Aang would come back for her, she picked it up and thumbed casually through the pages. Even in solitude, she blushed at the contents.

* * *

Sprinting as only an airbender can, Aang raced to the back bay of the temple. If The Mechanist hadn't touched it yet, there might be a chance he could surprise Katara phenomenally.

A wall and the statue that had been part of it had been toppled over, but unlike the renovations the temple had suffered, this appeared to have been done centuries ago. Aang frowned, supposing that this damage had been from the ancient Fire Nation attack. Thankfully, part of what he'd been seeking was still intact: a very large air nomad glider.

"This will be perfect!" he said aloud. Hastily, he rushed to find The Mechanist.

* * *

"Aang! What's this all about?" Katara blinked, confused.

Having retrieved her from the library, Aang had brought her out to the launching bay at the front of the temple. One of The Mechanist-designed gliders had been given to her, and now she stood side by side with Aang at the very edge of the bay. The strong winds from the chasm below threatened to blow the glider from her grasp, and so she clung to it with a vice-like grip.

Katara peered over at Aang, and was surprised to see his cloudy eyes staring back, warm and intense. One of the milder breezes brushed past them, but it was Aang's gaze that caused her to shiver.

"I know you don't understand the custom,…" he said, peering deeply into her eyes. "But…I need to ask you: Do you trust me?"

Another shiver ran through her. An airbender custom? Oh, she dared not object, but still Katara was nervous.

"I trust you, Aang. Completely."

Katara barely felt the sudden gust that sent her with the glider diving into the chasm. There was no time to scream as she recalled how to work the device as quickly as she could. It wasn't difficult, and when she steadied herself, she saw that Aang was right there beside her, watching and protecting her.

He looked upward and guided himself likewise. Taking this as a cue, Katara followed. They seemed to rise forever, cutting through clouds to reach the clear skies beyond them. Higher and higher, Katara wondered if they'd reach the stars if they soared much higher.

A movement from Aang caught her attention. As he clung to the glider with one hand, the other was extended out to her. His eyes wordlessly repeated his question from before.

"_Do you trust me?"_

Against her instincts to cling to the glider for dear life, she reached out a hand to him, and he took it into his own. Suddenly, he turned them around, and both gliders plummeted downward in a free fall. Katara wondered if Aang had lost his senses, but his eyes betrayed little. He seemed perfectly calm, albeit the slightest hint of mischief gleamed back.

Faster and faster, they plunged earthward. Aang shifted his glider a little, and their joined descent went into a spiral, so that they circled one another at arm's length. The chasm lay just below them, but Aang showed no sign of stopping.

Onlookers by the temple entrance screamed in awe and terror at the sight, but their cries went unheard by Aang or Katara. Together, they zipped past the ledge and continued their nose-dive into the chasm. Despite it's depth, the ground was coming up fast on them.

Katara felt Aang squeeze her hand.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah!" she replied, unsure of what she'd consented to.

Aang drew in a deep breath and let go of her hand. Blowing out a great gust of wind, the gliders suddenly turned upwards sharply, saving both of them from the jagged rocks below. Shooting out of the chasm side by side, they glanced at one another. The airbender's smile was mirthful and loving. Katara beamed back in spite of having the life nearly scared from her.

"_A leap of faith…"_ she realized. _"This is what Aang's people must have done long ago…"_

They sailed toward the temple, where the terrified screams had turned to uproarious cheers of excitement. Aang made sure to land first, as Katara was still unaccustomed to a proper landing. As she veered in for a crash, Aang bent the air before her, so that it slowed her glider to a safer speed. Aang caught hold of her, but he had miscalculated how much he had slowed her down, and Katara crash landed onto him.

Ah, but he didn't mind. He helped her out of the harness, but didn't bother to get up. Neither did she.

"Aang, that was completely insane!" Katara said when she finally found her voice again.

"I know." Aang laughed, pulling her close. "But did you have fun?"

"I was… absolutely terrified… but… I… yeah! That…that was fun!"

He planted a kiss on her cheek and rolled to knees. Shakily, she took the hand he offered as they rose to their feet. Soon, the onlookers were crowding around them with all manner of clamor.

"That was amazing!"

"You guys could've been killed!"

"Can you teach me to do that?"

"Do it again!"

Aang took a moment to try calming the crowd down. Once some semblance of peace had been established, he excused Katara and himself indoors. No sooner were they out of sight than a mischievous grin erupted on his face.

"Oh no," Katara shook her head, but she was smiling. "What are you up to now?"

"What am I up to?" Aang suddenly swept her up into his arms like he had earlier in the library. Using airbending, he sprinted up one of the long, winding staircases as she clung to him tightly. "You'll see."

Reaching the highest and final room of the temple in no time flat, he set Katara down and cracked open the door. The room was dark as they peeked in, but the scent of old incense hung in the air. There was little light leaking in from the doorway as they entered, but Aang knew what was where from memory, from the sparse furniture to the placement of the candles and oil lamps.

"Close your eyes." He said softly.

Katara did as she was asked. Recalling his training under Zuko's supervision, Aang skillfully lit the candles and lamps, illuminating the room.

"You can open your eyes now."

The scene that lay before them, at first, seemed plain in terms of furniture, but the soft, flickering candlelight accented the vibrant colors there within. The medium sized bed bore an autumn red blanket with golden yellow trim and accents. One corner of it had been pulled back to show the white sheet and blanket beneath. It appeared to have been made of fur, but Katara reasoned that that could not have been the case, as airbenders like Aang would have been completely opposed taking life for food or other goods. Still, she touched the fabric delicately; to her surprise, it was fur!

"The monks never let anything go to waste." Aang spoke up when he saw the questions in her eyes. "The air bison shed so much in the summertime that we made blankets from the fur instead of throwing it away."

"It's so beautiful!" Katara whispered aloud, sitting on the bed.

"Beautiful…" Aang repeated the word, but was not referring to the room. He seated himself beside her and tilted her cheek into a kiss. She hummed sweetly into it, enjoying the taste.

* * *

Woo! It's been awhile, but at least this chapter's up! Didn't think I'd be much for writing, what with the car accident I just had and all, but oh well. Don't worry, I'm ok. Just a bruise on the chin.

Ok, a couple of things about this chapter...

_The Scented Courtyard_ and the snippet from it are both based on a very old and rather famous book here in the real world. Name the book correctly and I'll tell you an upcoming spoiler for this fic!

The whole refusal to "waste life" thing aka jerk off or be jerked off by Katara... a pseudo-Catholic thing, I know, but given the steadfast Buddhist-like Air Nomads' love of life and respect for all things connected to it, I felt it would only be right that Aang stuck to such a principle. Besides, he's gonna need it all for repopulating the Air Nomads! LOL

Don't worry about the large glider-- that'll be used later in the fic!

The whole "leap of faith" custom Aang and Katara just did... I originally heard of it in a faux documentary the Animal Planet channel had about dragons, but the American bald eagle truly does this as a courtship ritual. Given the high-flying and death-defying nature of the ritual, I thought it only fitting to be present in Air Nomad culture.

Pissed there's no lemon in this chapter? Don't worry, I will be more than making up for it in the next chapter. All the deliciously citrus lemony goodness you could want!

I'll be trying to sprinkle in some Sokka and Suki action for all you Sukka fans out there.

As always, constructive criticism is always helpful! Please provide plenty should you choose to review!


	11. Chapter 11

The warm candlelight accented the autumn reds and yellows about the small room. Blankets, hung up as wall décor when not in use, softened the otherwise cold stone walls. The carved nightstand bore a wide bowl of fresh water, be it for a midnight drink or cleansing the face upon waking. There was little sound throughout the chamber, save for soft sighs and gentle kisses.

Still reveling from their earlier excitement, Katara could not get enough of experiencing Aang: his stormy eyes, his lips, the feathery touch of his fingers on her face. She had embraced him tightly, but as her grip loosened, her hands came to rest on his collarbone.

Had Aang been wearing the looser robe that exposed his shoulder, disrobing him would have been all too easy. But as that had been burned away by Ozai, and Aang was now a fully realized Avatar, he now wore the full robes and heavy shawl. Removing them was going to take a while; Katara suppressed her groan.

Aang, on the other hand, did not seem so forward as he had been during their first coupling in the woods. He trailed kisses along the corner of her mouth, descending to her jawline. Katara felt the smile against her throat when she shivered.

Ah, but his hands were not still! After pulling her close against him, Aang loosened his grip to hold her waist in his hands. Fingers flexed on her garbed body, and he snorted his disappointment.

Katara shifted herself and pulled the heavy winter coat over her head. She meant to toss it onto the chair beside the bed, but missed, and didn't seem to care. Her lips reunited with Aang's as her hands slipped up under tan airbender shawl. His body heat could be felt so easier here, but his bare skin would be far warmer. Slowly, she pulled the shawl up and over his head; their kiss was broken up only for as long as it needed to be.

Katara anticipated the removal of her shirt to come next, but Aang rushed not at all. Ghosting kisses over her face, he then rubbed his cheek against hers, loving the warm, chaste contact. Her soft sigh against his ear caused him to shudder.

An amused snicker from Aang woke Katara from the romantic haze surrounding them. She watched, curious, as Aang bent some water from the bedside bowl into a heart shape. Carefully, he breathed a low, steady flame behind it so that the heart lit up for Katara. Her amusement charmed him.

"You're not so out of breath this time" she noted.

"A couple hundred firebending drills will do that." He smirked, bending the water back to the bowl. "Was that too silly of me?"

"No, Aang, that was just perfectly you."

They leaned into one another, touching foreheads. Aang took her hands into his own and massaged them, relishing their softness.

Oh, but her hands were not the delicate things they appeared to be! Aang knew all too well what they were capable of, and as such, respect was due to them. These hands had taken out legions of enemy soldiers, knocking them prone and turning their own attacks against them. Just as they hurt, they healed. They chillingly bent blood, and they saved his life. In reverence, Aang brought those hands to his lips and kissed them.

"Aang…" she sighed.

Closing his eyes, Aang focused only on the feel of her hands in his own. His fingers moved from firmly caressing her palms to her wrists, progressing up her arms. Lost in his tender touch, Katara rested her head against his shoulder. A deep breath flooded her with the room's essence: the candle smoke, traces of incense, soft linen, and of course Aang.

Aang's trail continued on up her arms, slipping beneath the short sleeves of Katara's shirt to pamper her shoulders. She moaned softly, his fingers rubbing away tension she had never known was there until now. Skillfully, Aang managed to reach the middle of her back, between the shoulders; applying pressure there garnered him a relaxed sigh of approval.

Those books, Katara reasoned, had to be how Aang was so good at what he was doing. There was no other plausible way. He was spoiling her and excelled at it.

A stray, jealous thought darted across her mind, one that suspected Aang of having been with someone else prior to meeting her. But that concern was invalid; he had been a silly boy when they had met, and far too preoccupied with having fun to have been in a serious relationship.

Even in those days, Katara recalled, she had caught him smiling at her often. It was a goofy smirk to be fair, but almost always was it for her. Perhaps she really was his first and only, a friend who gradually fell in love with her. His shy, adorable blushes whenever she had planted little kisses on his cheeks certified it.

Lost in her musings, Katara failed to notice that Aang had been working at the very same spot on her back for a while. She kissed his neck to remind him she'd not dozed off on his shoulder. A satisfied snort from him made her sit up. As his hands withdrew from her sleeves, there was a sudden looseness around her.

"_What the…?"_

Fabric shifted against her skin beneath her shirt. Lifting her hand and deftly feeling her chest, Katara found that Aang had unbound her chest wrap. The linen strips unwound with little movement from her, slipping to pool around her hips.

"Aang!" she mockingly scolded him. He simply turned his rosy, sheepish expression to the side.

Even with all that had transpired between them, Aang was still shy in some regards to intimacy. It amused Katara that he could be so mature and yet still be so bashful.

Aang took hold of the wrap and unwound it from around Katara's waist, careful not to tear it. The thick material of Katara's shirt kept her body covered, but without the secure wrappings, her bosom stood out a little bit more against the cloth. Aang did not stare, but admired her, appreciating her beauty as he always had.

"Would you… close your eyes and turn around, Katara?"

The question seemed so simple, so casual, yet the purpose behind it puzzled Katara, and piqued her interest. When she searched his eyes for an answer, he only beamed love for her and added, "Please?" She did as asked, wondering what he meant to do.

Her shirt was carefully, sensually lifted over her head and put aside. The new engagement necklace still decorated her throat, and Aang's fingers brushed it briefly. Katara had anticipated the room to be chilly, but the candles, even with their small flames, kept the room cozy. She cracked an eye open to peek, but Aang quickly warned her not to.

The soft splish of water being bent touched her ears. The hands that came to rest firmly on her shoulders were coated in warm water, and Katara loved the feel of it. Aang gently kneaded her shoulder blades as she purred under his touch.

The water was warmed further, and Katara recognized it as the Healer's Touch. She would know it better than anyone, as she had spent weeks at a time trying to revive the then-comatose Avatar. Katara was not injured, but being treated to this was blissful.

"I never had the guts to say it before, because I was afraid you'd take it the wrong way, but I really like it when rub my back like this."

"You never had say it, Aang. I knew."

He moved his hands in circular motions along her backside, taking care not to miss a spot. Whenever his hands reached her shoulders, he let a few drops trickle down her front side. It tickled, but did so quite stirringly.

Aang sent the water back towards the bowl, but Katara retrieved it, keeping it warm on her hands.

"Don't you want the same?" she asked.

"You just want me to take my upper robe off!" he flashed her a snarky grin.

"As if you ever had a problem shedding your clothes!"

"Did you expect me to swim or practice waterbending with it on?"

"And when you're firebending?"

"I could've accidentally lit myself on fire with it on."

"When you're earthbending?"

"Earthbending is dirty work, or have you not seen Toph when we don't insist she take a bath?"

"That's true. Then the only time you DON'T take it off is when you're airbending."

"Or when we're walking around town."

"Are you going to take your top off or not?"

Aang complied, the grin never completely leaving his face. He was still quite lean without being scrawny; hours of bending drills had toned his torso well. Katara couldn't help but stare despite having seen Aang shirtless so many times. Unlike those other times, however, she was unafraid to let Aang see the color in her cheeks.

The Avatar shied under her gaze. She placed a water-covered hand on his chest and gently pushed him to lie back on the bed. This surprised him, as he had anticipated attention to his backside, but as she began massaging his chest and stomach, he certainly wasn't going to object.

There was a certain familiarity to this act. From the deepest recesses of his mind, Aang recalled feeling Katara's hands on him this way before. When he knew he had never actually _seen_ her do it, he grasped that this had been part of the healing sessions while comatose. That had been the deepest form of intimacy to transpire between them at that point and time.

Katara brought her hands up to his neck, working the water all around and along his collarbone. Wherever she moved the water, there was left behind a light sheen that glistened in the candlelight. Aang purred beneath her.

Bending the water away, Katara continued rubbing his chest, taking delight in the friction the water had previously prevented. She worked her way down slowly, gradually, until her palms brushed the hem of his pants. Baggy as they were, she knew very well what lay beneath.

Aang took her hands in his own and pulled her on top of him. Her breath caught in her throat as their bare flesh came into contact. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling Katara into a deep kiss. Katara shifted herself, earning a soft moan from him. She purposely ground her body against Aang's; he threw his head back in a louder, aroused cry.

The arms holding her to him tightened their grip. His lips descended upon the base of her neck, planting kisses that lingered. A thrust of his hips elicited a surprised gasp from her throat, and she melted under his soft attentions.

All around them, the candles flickered. Shadows danced with every movement the tiny flames made. The swirling triskele emblem of the Air Nomads accented the feel of the room. Peace radiated from all contained within the resting chamber.

Katara's voice broke the silence in praise of Aang's fingers on her breast. Aang did not need to do much bring her pleasure this way, and by just this simple caress, it was he who was blessed with her wordless approval. Her eyes, pinched shut, and quick, heated breaths on his skin gave credence the enjoyment he lavished upon her.

Aang rolled them onto their sides, still facing one another. His fingers trailed her side, sliding painstakingly unhurried down to her hips and flattening his palm there. Katara dipped her finger into her mouth, then brought it to Aang's throat and dragged a line downward past his chest and stopping at his navel. She repeated this motion while her eyes never strayed from the gray ones staring back.

Brushing his navel, Katara was reminded of just what it meant for Aang to be the Avatar. Not one, but all four of the elements obeyed him. He communed not only with the physical world, but with the spirit world as well. The Avatar was likened to a deity who had given up his place in the heavens to instead reside among mortals.

_Yet…_

The Avatar was not immortal. He lived and died just as every other creature did. The divine being was born to humans and lived among them as such. No matter how many times his spirit returned, the Avatar still had to learn to speak and walk, to grow mentally and physically, and to bend the elements one art at a time. When the time came, be it of old age or the consequences of his purpose on the earth, the Avatar would die, be reborn, and repeat the process once again.

Katara needed no reminder of Aang's mortality. His brush with death at Ba Sing Se had been very real and terrifying. Without the holy water from the Spirit Oasis, all had agreed, Aang would surely have died, along with Avatar spirit and any hope the world might have had for an end to the war. So as she brushed his navel with her fingertip, his preciousness went not unrevered.

His hand kneaded her hip evenly, treasuring this contact with every circular motion he made. Reaching out to him, Katara rested her hand just above Aang's waist, then slowly worked her fingers under hem of it. There was still a belt to untie before she could remove this part of his clothing, but right now, it was enough to poke just beneath it. Aang took the next step by undoing the knot on her belt and pulling it free.

Katara moved to undo his binding, but found herself unable to do much with Aang's hand rubbing her bare skin. He hadn't even pulled her skirt down to do it, simply slipping his hand beneath the fabric to touch what was hidden. Her breath caught and she was momentarily unable to do anything to him. Struggling not to be swept away, she tugged at his belt. Without the simple silken strip, the loose pants slackened about Aang's slender frame.

As soon as her hand came in contact with his bare hip, Aang pulled her in closer and didn't let go. Katara's hand ghosted from his side to his back, working its way down to cup his rear snugly. Though already half naked, they seemed to only grow hotter as their explorations continued.

The earthen tent had been dark, barely letting in any of the moonlight from outside. Here, by the light of many candles, they could see one another clearly and in all of their sacred glory. There seemed to be a holy aura about the room, a place of meditation, and what transpired between the Avatar and his love was sacred and full of purity.

Katara drew the thick, loose garment down Aang's legs, and he finished removing them for her. He was clad only in his loin piece, leaving little to the imagination. Aang drew her firmly to him, moaning in her ear.

The better lighting piqued Katara's curiosity about Aang. She had always marveled at the streamlined pattern of his airbender tattoos. They descended down his spine to wind around his limbs and end at his hands and feet. Part of her wanted to see for herself how low the back stripe tapered or if it split to go down his legs.

But to see them would mean turning Aang over, and doing so was the last thing the Avatar wanted to do. He was just as aware of the candlelight as she was, and it gave rise to some of the apprehensions that had previously not concerned him the first time; Katara had felt him, but not seen him. Aang tightened his hold of her and pressed kisses to her throat. She would not see him if he could help it.

The waterbender sighed sweetly, but her determination to see him fully kept her active. Her fingers slipped into his loin piece and unhesitatingly began drawing them off. It was a tricky feat given that Aang would not relinquish his grip on her, and that on account of such, Katara needed to _unhook_ it from him. As the fabric shifted off of him, Aang buried his face in her neck, muffling his moans.

He tilted his face up to catch her lips with his own. A tattooed hand entangled its fingers in Katara's skirt and pulled it off of her. She broke the kiss to help him remove it. Aang quickly covered himself, a deep blush flooding his paleness.

"Aang?"

"…"

"Is something wrong?"

"No… I—I'm just a little…I-it was different… in the dark…"

"Because we couldn't really see each other that well?"

He nodded.

Katara rubbed his shoulder, then traced the blue arrow. Her light smile never shifted as her fingertips trailed down his arm, lower and lower, to the hand attempting modesty. She could feel Aang tremble at the proximity of her hand to his sensitive body. Her eyes suddenly locked with his, and he recognized the words spoken next.

"I see you… and you're beautiful."

Her fingertips stopped at the tip of the arrow and gently took hold of his wrist. Hesitantly, he let go of himself and let her guide his hand to her breast. The words sunk into his mind, and realizing the silliness of his fear, breathed it out.

"Thank you." He whispered.

Katara drew him into a long, languorous kiss, enjoying the taste of his mouth on hers. The hand on her breast squeezed gently and massaged with all the tenderness of the airbender it belonged to. She purred contentment upon his lips. Liking the reaction, Aang sidled downward to take a peak into his mouth. Katara gasped, cradling his head as he suckled.

The final barrier between them now was drawn off the waterbender's body and cast aside. The rosy blush never left the airbender's face even as he buried it within the plush of Katara's bosom. His arm slid around her waist and rested the hand, splayed, on her lower back. Her body was pulled flush against his.

If the Avatar thought he would be rolling over her, he was mistaken. A mischievous curl of her lips and it was Katara who overtook him. His love-lidded eyes watched her as his mouth hung agape, having lost the soft skin it had been nursing. She knelt above him, straddling his hips and loving the reaction.

Katara lowered herself to sit on him. So close… what an insane tease it was to be so close! Aang tried to sit up and embrace her, but only managed to grip her wrists tightly. Their breathing picked up, and even some of the candles flickered by it. She pushed against him, throwing her head back in a long howl. Aang followed her, echoing her provocative song and refusing to release her wrists. Katara ground against him more, and their mutual volume increased with every repeated motion.

Aang trembled at the feeling of being so near. He pulled Katara forward and just off of him, her face coming only a hair from his own. Locking eyes, their heavy breathing slowed only minutely. No words were needed now; Katara eased herself back cautiously.

A few anxious pants preceded the resounding cries as they slipped together. Fists balled up in the soft blankets. Katara's hips shifted slightly off of him, then let gravity draw her down, tearing another scream from them both. He gave an experimental thrust, and the sensation forced his hands to her hips, holding her there. It was incredible how deeply sheathed he was within her.

Aang slipped his palms to cup her bottom, grinding her forward once… twice…, then she followed the rhythm. Her arms kept her upright, and her fingers appreciated Aang's lean, toned stomach. The deliberate, unhurried movements and easy slip were indescribably sensual.

A great amount of willpower was needed for the Avatar's next intentions. One arm gripped Katara's waist as he sat himself up, face to face with the writhing waterbender. The other arm moved back to support him in this position. By this posture, they connected much deeper, and their love song only grew louder.

Katara threw her head back as Aang breathed hotly against her chest. Every brush, every thrust, every sound set their nerves afire. The familiar tightness where they met as one grew closer, ever so tauntingly closer. Aang at once latched onto her breast, suckling in time with his thrusts.

Katara howled her release, bringing Aang over the edge with her. The candles flared suddenly before going out just as quickly. Blue arrows lit the darkness in a blurry, foggy glow. Descending from their heaven, Aang collapsed onto his back, with Katara slumping beside him.

Too exhausted for words, Aang drew her against his chest and pulled the soft coverlet over them. Sleep soon claimed them both, but their dreams only led them on from where the waking world had stopped.

* * *

Many hours later, Aang opened his eyes to the darkness. He recollected his thoughts and flexed his fingers on the warm shoulder in front of him. Katara's soft sigh tickled his bare chest. Mildly chilled, she snuggled deeper into Aang's warm embrace.

Now almost fully awake, the Avatar assessed their situation. He was lying nude with Katara after having made love to her. Very passionate love, he smirked. The candles had gone out at some point or other, which led him to another, somewhat more pressing question…

_How long have we been asleep?_

Careful not to disturb Katara, he bent a tongue of flame in his free palm and looked about the room. The flame sputtering out, however, disturbed his glance. Confused, he bent another fire, only for that one to go out as well. Giving it one final try, he watched his own palm for a culprit; the flame seemed to snuff out as though by water.

"Katara?" he whispered, thinking she might be awake. But a snoozy moan was the only reply.

Feeling a slight chill, he tucked his arm back under the coverlet and around Katara. As curious as he was to his fire going out, he would rather stay in suspense a bit longer than disturb the sweet waterbender beside him.

* * *

Sorry this took so bloody long to do, but it WAS a lemon and I did want to do it right. One of the things that made this one very difficult is the fact that it is the second explicit scene in the fic, and as such, I had to do everything in my power to make it tasteful AND different from the first one. Couple of things I'd like to note:

Those of you who guessed correctly the real-world book that inspired "The Scented Courtyard" in the last chapter were rewarded with spoilers. I will ask that you not make said spoilers public. For those that guessed but incorrectly--- good tries even if they weren't right.

Aang self-conscious about his unmentionables? You think that's weird just because he's the Avatar? Seriously, on some level, ALL real-world guys worry about what the ladies think of them.

I do not know the correct name of that sitting-up position they used. This question goes out predominantly to the readers who guessed the book name correctly.

The teasing conversation to get his shirt off...... inspired by real-life situations I've been in. Don't ask!

I will try to put a little more (non-perverted) action into this fic in upcoming chapters; I just really wanted to pump out this sexy one and it took alot longer to do than anticipated. Again, sorry about that.

To Zabchan--- CAN IT BE UPDATE "FLIGHT" FIC TIEM NAOW PLZ? KTHXBAI LOL

And... I think that's all the notes for now! As usual, please R&R because that's the motivation I need to keep going.


	12. Chapter 12

Aang stirred awake sometime later, fully rested. Katara, too, shifted to consciousness and dozily peered about the darkness.

"Aang?" she whispered aloud.

"Good morning!" he kissed her forehead.

"Have we been here… all night?"

"I don't know, but it feels like it." He said with a shiver.

Aang reached to pull the coverlet back over his shoulder and paused suddenly.

"What is it?" Katara touched her hand to his chest, then drew it back. It wasn't just damp; it was wet. And cold.

"You noticed it too?" he asked.

"We… couldn't have sweat that much… could we?"

"I don't think so. I think… I think the room is soaked!"

"Soaked!? Why would it be—"

"Watch."

He bent a small ball of flame in his hands to illuminate the room. The flame sputtered out, just as it had before, but not quite so quickly. Aang did it again to prove his point, and the same result occurred.

As she watched the flame and looked beyond it, the room appeared to be, literally, in a fog. What little light was to be had for the moment sparkled on the white mist that all but swallowed the room.

"Do you see what I mean?" he said.

"It's like being in the clouds…"

"How did this happen? We both fell asleep after… right?"

"Yeah…"

"That's a lot of water though." Aang shifted out of bed. "Could you… maybe gather it all up? I'll try to get a light going once you do."

"Ok."

The room was cold, not just from the high altitude of the temple, but from the humidity pervading the chamber. As soon as Aang firebent some light, Katara waterbent the airborne droplets together and sent it to the bowl. There was immediately a difference made, as the fire Aang cradled in his palm managed to remain alight.

But the room was still very wet. Every exposed surface was coated in a fine layer of misty dew droplets. Katara bent most of it into the bowl, but there was always a spot or two that she missed. It was not a problem though; the more pressing issue was where it had all come from.

"I don't understand what that was all about." Aang set about lighting a few candles, and though they lit, they sputtered now and again. "It's like the bowl… exploded… or something…"

Katara picked their clothing up off of the floor and felt them for any remaining dampness. Satisfied that they were dry, she laid them out on the bed, then began dressing herself. Aang seated himself beside her and did the same.

"Aang?"

"Hm?"

"I think it was you."

"Me… what? What do you think was me?"

"The water all over the room."

"You think I did that? Katara, we… went right to sleep afterwards… I didn't do anything."

"Do you… think that it's possible to bend… without meaning to?"

"I don't know. I've never thought of that before… I've never even heard of anything like that before. Is that what you think happened?"

"How should I know? I'm just guessing."

Aang pulled his shawl over his head and cracked a little smile.

"Are you sure you didn't do it? You are a waterbending master!"

"So are you!"

"No, Katara, I've still got a lot to learn, even if I have mastered the Avatar State. Either way, one of us did something to cause that… or… maybe it was… both of us…"

"You think it was from us… what we did?"

"It sounds crazy, I know, but, well… maybe."

They finished dressing and checked to be sure that they were wearing their own clothes as opposed to each other's. One such mistake, after all, was more than enough.

Descending the long stairwell, the tall arched windows let in the faintest of dawn light. There was no sound of activity as of yet, so as they approached the lower floors, they kissed one another and retreated to their respective rooms.

* * *

Warm sunlight flooded the inner courtyard of great Fire Nation palace. The turtle ducks swam over to the edge of the pond, where Mai found Fire Lord Zuko offering the creatures bread crumbs. That the highest figure in the nation held compassion for the tiniest of animals warmed the young woman's heart.

"You're up early." She remarked.

Zuko said nothing and only continued to feed the tiny beaks quacking at him. As Mai approached she could see his brows knit, deep in thought. Only when she was right beside him did he turn to her.

"Mai, good morning." His voice came low and somewhat hoarse.

"You sound like you've been giving speeches all night. What's wrong."

"It's been several weeks since I had the sages search through the records, and they've barely found a thing about my mother."

"Ozai probably didn't want any record of what happened that night left for anyone to find. Did you ask your uncle?"

"I did, but he and the other White Lotus members are still searching for information on her whereabouts…Mai… what if she's really gone? What if my father was just baiting me on by telling me she might still be alive?"

"Are you going to just give up then?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then cut the drama and be patient a little longer. After all, she has been missing for a long time; they're not going to find her immediately."

"Maybe you're right…"

He tossed the last of the bread crumbs into the water, watching the ducklings snap them up. When he didn't say anything, Mai turned his chin and kissed him. A little of his inner light seemed to return to his eyes.

* * *

Breakfast was an unusually disgruntled occasion at the Northern Air Temple. The chill in the wind foreshadowed an early winter for that year, but humidity leftover from the waning summer made the air just that much colder. Complaints spread all around of the cold damp, and the older women, always busy with mending when not attending to other chores, turned to making warmer clothes for the coming months.

The Mechanist had been busy piecing together a furnace large enough to heat the large interior hallways of the temple. If he could power it and provide ample ventilation, he considered creating smaller ones so that individual rooms would be able to partake of the heat. The only real problem once the first two were solved was putting it all together in a manner that would do as little damage as possible to the temple.

The candle clocks popped 'one before midday' when Teo wheeled himself to the outer courtyard of the temple. Something flying in the distance caught his eye, and as it approached, he saw that it was a messenger hawk. The bird lit on the arm extended to it and bent its head forward, giving Teo better access to the message it carried. The seal was that of the White Lotus and was addressed to Aang. Seating the bird onto the back pole of his wheelchair, Teo hurried to find the Avatar.

Aang was found meditating before a small altar, upon which two candles and a bowl of sweet grains was placed. Katara was seated beside him, partaking of his ritual, but every now and again, she would crack an eye open to watch him. The arrow tattoos glowed with a soft, azure warmth.

Teo was unsure of how to announce himself without disturbing the peaceful scene. It was the squeak of the chair's left wheel that drew Katara's attention to the newcomer.

"Were you looking for us?" she asked quietly.

"A message just came by messenger hawk." Said Teo. "It's for the Avatar."

"I'll take it for now and give it to Aang when he's through." Katara took the offered scroll, then glanced at the bird. "That's Sokka's bird!"

"Sokka has his own hawk?"

"He bought it on a whim, but I didn't think he'd ever really be able to get a message through!" Teo gave the bird an affectionate scratch.

Katara held out her hand and called to the bird by name. Recognizing her, Hawky lit onto her shoulder in two flaps of his wings. Nodding quietly to her, Teo took his leave.

* * *

Wandering into the Spirit World, Aang found Avatar Roku waiting for him, seemingly meditating himself. When the younger one approached, the elder looked up and him and smiled.

"Hello, Aang. It is good to see you again."

Aang bowed politely to his previous incarnation.

"Avatar Roku, did you need to speak to me?"

"Indeed." Roku invited the boy to sit down. "The war is over now, but there is still a long road ahead of you before the world is completely in harmony once again."

"I know. The other nations still want vengeance and reparations for the damage done in the past 100 years, and it's hard keeping everyone calm even though Zuko has ordered most of his troops to return to the Fire Nation."

"A true victory does not happen overnight. The nations must rebuild themselves from what was damaged during the war. _All_ of the nations."

Aang gulped as his eyes shifted nervously to the ground before Roku. The elder Avatar simply smiled.

"Do not be ashamed, young Avatar. What you and the young waterbender have together is pure and beautiful. Do not let the words and ideas of others convince you otherwise."

Aang released the breath he had been holding and chanced a glance up at his previous manifestation. Roku's words were firm, but comforting.

"An old friend would like to speak to you, but you will have to go to the Eastern Air Temple to do so."

"Guru Pathik?"

"Yes."

"But I left while he was still helping me to open the chakras. Is he… still mad at me?"

"You chose love over power, and for that, Pathik cannot fault you, even if it did disrupt the process you were attempting. To hold a grudge is not his way."

"Do you know what it's about?"

"Only that there is a sense of urgency that must be attended to. Do not delay."

* * *

The glowing tattoos faded as Aang came out of his deep meditation. The warmth of Katara's hand on his own was the first thing he became aware of, somehow staving off the chill of the room just by that simple touch. The ruffle of feathers drew his attention to the bird.

"Hawky?" he blinked.

"He just arrived a few minutes ago." Katara replied, unbinding the message from the bird and handing it to Aang. "Teo brought him in."

Aang took the scroll from her and opened it. His disgruntled sigh confirmed more or less what Katara had expected: post-war trouble from one corner of the world or the other.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Fire Nation troops refusing to return home." He rolled the scroll back up. "Because Ozai is still alive, they won't surrender their position without his orders. I really don't want to just go in there and beat them back to the Fire Nation if I don't have to. I just wish they'd understand that this war is all over."

"This war went on for over 100 years. Aside from you and King Bumi, no one has lived without it or remembers the time before it. It's going to take time."

Aang grumbled and stretched out his legs, letting the circulation return to them.

"There's something else that I have to do." He said softly.

"Like what?"

"Avatar Roku told me that Guru Pathik needs to see me again. It's urgent, so I really can't put it off. The rebellion is only a few miles away from Kyoshi Island. I'll send a message back to Sokka asking him if he can talk to Suki about keeping an eye on it. Hopefully what Pathik needs to tell me won't take too long and I can settle the rebellion afterward."

"I'll go with you."

"Actually… I don't know if that's such a good idea…"

"Why would it be a bad one?"

Aang proceeded to tell her of his last meeting with the guru and his attempt to open all of the chakras. He had managed to get through six of them, but…

"I couldn't let go of you…"

"Aang…"

"And when I tried to, I saw you in trouble."

"That's how you found me!"

"Yes, but Pathik said that by not opening the last one, I'd never be able to use the Avatar State again."

"But you have used the Avatar State since then."

"Aside from getting thrown into a boulder by Ozai… I don't know how that happened…"

Hawky tucked his beak beneath his wing and commenced preening himself. Katara reached up to him and gently scratched his neck.

"Please, Aang, let me go with you to see Pathik. I promise I won't be a bother!"

"You're never a bother!"

"You know what I mean." She planted a small kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush. "I just want to be there in case you need me."

"Alright." He smiled. "After this and the rebellion is settled down, there's something I want to show you. I think you'll like it."

* * *

The old guru had been anticipating the arrival of the Avatar for some time, but it was still a surprise to be slurped from his meditation by the overly friendly Appa. Aang slid off first, then reached out to catch Katara as she did the same.

"I see now why you were so quick leave when we last met, Avatar." Pathik said simply.

Aang's stiffened, nervous that the old man would still be upset despite Roku's reassurance.

"But I should have known that as the Avatar, you can never detach yourself from the world. And I sense that you have gained control of the Avatar State despite not being able to open the final chakra."

"I have." Aang replied, exhaling the breath he had been holding. "Although… it was kind of by accident I don't really know what happened."

"All things happen for a reason." Said Pathik. "There are no accidents. And it is no accident that I have come to an impasse in my meditation."

"What kind of impasse?"

Pathik gestured for Aang to sit beside him in meditative posture. Katara started to reach out to him, but stayed beside Appa, not wanting to interrupt the two men. Aang slipped into a light trance, his arrow markings not even lighting up yet.

"Feel the world around you." The guru instructed. "What do you see?"

Reaching out with physical and mental senses, Aang 'looked' around him. In the immediate area were Pathik, Appa, and, of course, Katara. Here, his concentration lingered. The guru chuckled warmly, and Aang got the impression that he could sense where his focus was.

"Now, I want you to reach out with your mind a bit further away… as far as you can."

The azure tattoos began to glow softly as Aang did as instructed. Over hills, past trees, and through valleys he reached out with his mind's eye, missing little despite seeing so much all at once. A hog-monkey chewing on bamboo shoots… a boarqupine rooting for mushrooms in the soft mud… beyond these things lay a great chasm that stretched for several miles.

Suddenly, a bright light blinded him, forcing him back out of his meditation like a boulder rolled downhill at him. The shock was so intense that Aang came out of it and fell over onto his back.

"Aang!" Katara rushed over to his side.

The Avatar sat up with a groan, rubbing his throbbing temple as a nasty headache set in.

* * *

Shit, didn't mean to put this off for so damn long, but it's been stressful, what with car accident expenses and Christmas events like my ferret getting her picture taken with Santa at PetCo. Still, I will make an honest effort to update this fic as time goes by. Currently trying to put some actual plot into this story in addition to all the smexytimes. From what I'm looking at, I've got a full plate to work with. Sorry about no Sukka stuff this chapter; I will try putting some in the next chapter.

As usual, whether you liked this or hated it, SAY SOMETHING! Tell me why you liked or hated it. Got an idea or something else to mention to me in regards to this fic? SPEAK UP! I'm not a mind reader, so you'll just have to tell me the old fashioned way.

Zabchan: Do I need to light another fire under your ass to get the next chapter of "Flight" posted up? *revs up a flamethrower* LOL


	13. Chapter 13

Deep within the Dragonbone Catacombs, a place once rarely visited, a flurry of activity was going on. The scent of aged parchment hung heavy in the musty atmosphere. On two long, polished study tables were scrolls and pages of all kinds, opened and held so by paperweights and miscellaneous bookmarks. The Fire Sages, set to work by Fire Lord Zuko, were busy searching for any information regarding the disappearance of Lady Ursa.

Fire Sage Shyu was pouring over a scroll tediously. Every now and again, he paused to rub his tired eyes. Records from the time when the Fire Lord's mother had disappeared were few to begin with, but worse was the fact that whatever was to be found was vague and seriously lacking in detail. There were even some passages that seemed to have been purposely marred to obscure their information. Despite the roadblocks, however, the sages persisted.

The scroll the sage was examining was one of the damaged ones, one made especially difficult to read by the combination of smudged and lifted ink marks. Unable to decipher its contents plainly, Shyu held it up to the lantern light. To his surprise, the scroll let up its secrets, for where the text had been ages ago, there was now a faint but readable imprint.

Quickly, he called over the younger sages to see it, for their eyes were better than his. His findings were unlike anything any of them could have expected.

* * *

Sokka was in his room, seated at the desk he often painted and sketched blueprints at. But at the moment, he was doing neither of those things. The desk was completely devoid of anything at the moment, save one. He stared at it, almost as though expecting a hole to bore through it at any moment. His brow creased deep in thought, and a frustrated groan escaped under his breath.

_How the hell am I going to do this?_

Thoughts of a white-haired beauty haunted him, and it took willpower not to tear out his wolf tail by the roots. The Kyoshi warrior trickled into his mind, and the poor boy was torn by the vision of them side by side.

"What's got you so worked up?" came Toph's voice suddenly.

"DAH!" Sokka instinctively dived for his mother's engagement necklace, planting his face into the hardwood table in the process. The intruder snickered.

"I wasn't even trying to sneak up on you!" she snorted. "Do you need to talk to someone?"

"Yes!.. No! Wait—Argh!" he sputtered.

"Listen, either you do or you don't! Make up your mind!"

"Uh…well,… sure. Have a seat."

Toph helped herself to the stone floor, her feet planted flat against it. Sokka had the necklace hidden in his hand, but even then, he was sure that Toph could see it nonetheless.

"How do I begin this…?" he scratched his head.

"Beginning sounds about right." Came the flat answer.

"Ok… Toph, did Aang or my sister ever tell you about what happened at the North Pole?"

"Sort of. There was a big battle against the Fire Nation and Zuko kidnapped Aang."

"Besides that."

"That the good guys won the battle."

"That's all?"

"What else is there to know?… This is a more personal matter. I know I'm right."

"Yeah… While I was there, I met a girl…"

"Oo! Does Suki know?"

"…Sort of…"

Toph would have jibed a smart remark if she had not sensed the anguished lump in Sokka's throat.

"We… grew to like each other… a lot. But… there was a problem."

"You didn't wanna two-time Suki?"

"No…" Sokka's fist trembled as he opened it. His mother's necklace sat neatly in the palm as he stared at it. "She was… engaged…"

"To someone else." Toph finished, sensing the envy in his heart. She blinked suddenly as another emotion flooded into him. "Whoa, that's A LOT more than just jealousy, Sokka!"

"He was a JERK!" he suddenly clenched his fist around the necklace again, hissing through his teeth as he fumed. "A self-centered jerk that only wanted her because she was a princess! For the power! The wealth! He didn't care about her, only what he could get from her!"

"Typical royalty stuff, got it. So let me guess, they got married and jerk-brains rubbed it in your face."

"Not exactly…"

* * *

"What is this stuff?" Katara asked as she took the bowl Pathik offered to her and Aang.

"Onion banana juice…" Aang answered with a groan. His head still ached terribly, but he let Katara help him sit up.

"Eww…"

"It's not as bad as it sounds."

Aang took the bowl from her and drank it down without even flinching. He set the bowl aside, and as the taste lingered on his tongue, he imagined that Katara would _not_ want to kiss him for a while.

"Did you encounter a great light, young Avatar?" Pathik asked.

"Yeah," Aang rubbed his temples. "Though it might as well have been a slab of rock for the force it hit me with."

"In all of my years, I have never encountered an obstacle such as this. It is energy, pure and simple enough, but very powerful."

"When the energy hit me, I felt like I was in the Spirit World. The energy there feels… very still and quiet, but…well… there."

"Very good, but now here is the difficult part. That energy is here, in this world."

"That's what I don't get! The only way there could be Spirit World energy here…"

Aang suddenly stopped himself suddenly, blinking.

"Aang?" Katara touched his shoulder.

He shook his head slightly as the words 'koi fish' slipped out. Carefully, he rose to his feet, gazing in the direction of the distant chasm.

"We need to go there." Aang finally said. "I think… I think a spirit might have passed over into our world…"

There was a certain excitement about this trip that thrilled and scared Aang. On one hand, the prospect of meeting another spirit outside of the Spirit World would give him more experience in being the Avatar. After all, he reasoned, there was always something new to learn. But on the other hand, this spirit could be one of the less friendly types. If it could be helped, Aang hoped to never encounter an entity as dangerous as Koh ever again.

The sun was setting the following day when Appa bellowed and began descent without direction from Aang. The Avatar sensed that their destination was still a few miles away, but even at his urging, the bison refused to obey. Upon landing, Aang spoke softly to Appa, but the poor beast could not be consoled. He snuffled, pawed at the ground, and otherwise seemed nervous.

"Appa won't budge." Aang sighed, but he still offered the bison an apple. "We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot."

"Where there is fear, there is no room for solitude." Said Pathik. "I will keep Appa company."

"Then it's just you and me, Katara." Aang turned to her, and she nodded.

They went ahead, keeping close all the while. No sounds of birds or other animals could be heard about them. The tension that had kept Appa at bay grew stronger, pooling fear into the pits of their stomachs. But worse than the negative feeling of the place was a pervading sadness. It crept in like a prickle snake, coiling itself around the heart and constricting with its barbed body.

Katara's knees gave out, the sorrowful energy overcoming her. Aang was immediately by her side, pulling her up despite the temptation to stay there and not get up.

"Just a little more, Katara." His voice sounded much sadder than he had meant it to be. She nodded and forced herself back up.

They pressed on, and at last reached the edge of the great chasm Aang had seen in his vision. The spirit energy was strongest here. Aang took a few steps closer to the edge; if he had still had hair, it would have been standing up on end. He could not see it, per se, but he could feel it… a wall… a barrier made of fear. Against his better judgment, he reached out a hand and touched the barrier.

Terrified screams and shrieks of horror rang in his ears. He could almost see their faces, panic-stricken and pale. They seemed to back away from him, but the rock wall behind them allowed no movement. A deep familiarity about them welled up in Aang's heart. He could see very little color, but a flicker of saffron yellow caught his eye before he suddenly pulled his hand away, ending the vision.

"Aang?" Katara's voice broke the deafening silence.

"There are a lot of spirits here, Katara." Aang's voice trembled. "Very scared spirits. Whatever happened here…"

"Are we… going down there? Into the canyon?" she asked.

"We have to." He nodded. "But they have to let us first."

Aang seated himself in his meditative posture. Moments later, Katara could hear him speaking, softly, but with purpose.

"My name is Aang, and I am the Avatar. I want to help you, all of you, but you have to let me. I don't mean you any harm. Please, will you allow me to pass?"

Whispers danced about his ears like tendrils of smoke. Most of what they said were garbled words or frightened gasps. The tiniest of breezes, little more than a breath of air, brushed his cheek. Even with his eyes closed, Aang knew there was a spirit right in front of him.

"_There is nothing here…_" it said. "_There is nothing left… they took everything that we had…_"

"Who did?" Aang asked.

"_The Fire Nation!_"

A great and horrible wail suddenly went up, as if by those very words all the spirits relived their final, terrifying moments all over again. In his mind's eye, Aang could see the spirits much more clearly now. Again, there were flickers of saffron yellow and autumn red. The men, no matter the age, were bald, and the women had their hair brushed back away from their foreheads. The markings here were indisputable.

"You're airbenders!"

"_Yes…we were airbenders…_" the voices wailed. "_We fled the air temples… took refuge here. We thought we were safe… we were wrong._"

"They were looking for me…" said Aang brokenly.

"_They never found you._"

"No, they didn't…"

There was silence, save for the whispering winds. Katara dared to approach Aang where he was seated facing the unseen barrier. Strangely, she noted, the intensity of the spirit energy did not grow as she neared the source. Something had changed from before; were the spirits calming down?

She sat down beside Aang and listened. At first, she could hear nothing but the winds ghosting her ears, but as she focused her attention, Katara was sure she could make out other voices, faint and distant. She did not see the spirit that approached her from the right side, but she certainly felt it come closer.

"_Healer…?_"

"Yes?" she whispered back.

Again, silence pervaded the air. Then, slowly as ice in the sun, the spirit energy melted away. The barrier was fading away.

"_They took everything we had…_" the spirits rustled. "_We have nothing left… nothing but fear…_"

Aang stood up, staring ahead at the canyon before him. Katara, too, got to her feet, feeling the receding barrier as a gentle rain of relief. The warmth of Aang's hand enveloped her own.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I am." she replied.

Slowly, they descended into the chasm, solemn and anxious of what they might find there.

* * *

OMG! I'm so sorry that this took forever and a day to get done. I'M NOT DEAD! But I'm not going to lie: this chapter was a pain in the ass!

I was going to have a riddle for the Zuko part, but just couldn't work with it, at least not now.

The Sokka and Toph part was meant to show just a smidgen more Tokka implication than it did. However, I'm pleased with it as is for now because when I do show a little Tokka stuff, it's gotta stay slight if I want to keep it at the same level as the canon series.

Airbender ghosts! I originally thought to have just one teensy-weensy little diaspora of surviving airbenders there, but decided against it in accordance to what the creators stated at a panel: Aang is the _last_ airbender; there will not be any more airbenders until Aang and Katara start procreating.

Love it? Hate it? Say something! Tell me how I can improve!


	14. Chapter 14

The descent was slow going down the steep side of the canyon. Aang had carried Katara down with him part of the way with airbending, but despite the width at the top, the sides were becoming more and more narrow. Soon, there was not even any room for Aang to airbend properly, forcing them to half climb, half slide their way down.

The very bottom of the gorge widened, but it was a maze of caves and rocky overhangs obscuring the sky. Spirit energy hung thick in the air like desert sand settling after a dust storm. It was difficult to see, but Aang was unsure if he should firebend light for them; it might upset the spirits.

"Aang! Look!" Katara pointed ahead of them.

Along the craggy edge of a cave, three tiny little green lights danced and bobbed slowly in the air. They looked like glow bugs, but there were no bodies from which the light was emanating. Cautiously, Aang held out his hands to cradle one. It hovered over his palms, casting its light on them before suddenly zipping into the cave. The other two lights followed suit.

"Come on!" he gestured to Katara. "I think they want us to follow them!"

They hurried into the cave, led on only by the soft lights ahead of them. Aang tripped on something small that sounded wooden, but he didn't stop to see what it was. The deeper they went, the higher the stone ceiling rose up above them. Katara struggled not to run out of breath, but the stale air she was breathing in was not helping.

A cold, refreshing wind gusted against them before dying down again. The tiny lights stopped in mid-air, waiting for their followers. Aang was confused at first by the sudden stop, but as soon as he put his hand to the wall to catch his breath, he realized why.

The darkness concealed everything to the naked eyes, but Aang earthbent a view of his surroundings when he touched the wall. No more than 5 steps ahead of him, the narrow passage came to an abrupt end, dropping steeply into a huge open cavern. Dimly, he could make out some boulders that seemed to be in a more man-made arrangement than a natural one. Only along the left and rightmost parts of the room were stalagmites and stalactites left completely untouched.

"Aang?" Katara said softly. "Why did we stop?"

As if to reply, the dancing lights fluttered up to the ceiling of the great hollow and hovered there. Their lights grew brighter, gradually illuminating the room. Aang and Katara rubbed their eyes, needing a moment for them to adjust to the light. When they could finally see, the sight before them took their breath away.

The hollow was like a large courtyard with all of the important areas of a temple combined. Grass could not be grown without sunlight, but in its place were arrangements of cave moss in garden-like boxes. The back wall of the cave had been fashioned into polished slabs, a place for the elders to sit and speak with any who asked their consul. A kitchen-like area on the right side included just about everything with the exception of ovens. The left side had several crudely hewn tables, little more than circular slabs jutting up from the floor.

It was the expanse of the middle floor area that remained empty. The ceiling above it was higher than any other part of the cave. Along its edges, there were racks for storing gliders and even one for battle fans. It was here that the airbenders had been able to practice their art despite being situated deep in the earth.

Aang picked Katara up and airbent them safely to the cavern floor. They moved about inspecting the place cautiously, weary that they may disturb the spirits.

Upon closer inspection, the initial aged beauty of the place began to crumble. Katara wandered through the kitchen area, trying hard not to tread on the shards of broken dishes, though such was nearly impossible. The circular slab tables, Aang realized, had once been used for Pai Sho as well as for dining, for a few faint markings remained on their surfaces.

But there was a sickening trend to everything in this place; from the smallest trinkets to the grandest structures, absolutely all things had been scorched black. Adding to the disturbing disarray were the dry, crumbling remains of long-deceased airbenders.

Aang drew in a deep breath, willing the Avatar Spirit not to rise with his anger. Still, Katara had seen the azure glow of his arrows and quickly came to his side. Although he had felt this anguish, this furor before at Southern Air Temple, the scene of tragedy was no less agonizing.

"Aang…" she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"They just…" he stammered in barely contained fury. "They just—killed everyone! Destroyed everything! They didn't even think of taking them prisoner at all!"

He collapsed to his knees, covering his face and sobbing like a child. Katara, who had not relinquished her grasp on him, knelt beside him and pulled his face to her shoulder.

"And it's my fault…" he said brokenly. "If it wasn't for me, they might've taken them prisoner! They killed—everyone except me, the one they wanted in the first place!"

"Aang, stop it!" she held him tighter. "Listen to me. As long as you don't forget them, your people will never really be completely dead. Their memory is alive, with you!"

She held him a little away to see his tear-stained face.

"And their will be airbenders again…" she added, her own eyes pooling with tears, but a gentle smile breaking through. "I'll help you… I promised you I would."

Two of the glowing lights had descended beside them, and when Aang and Katara turned to look at them, they shifted into shimmering human shapes. Their features became clearer, those of a man and a woman; unlike the other spirits they had encountered earlier, the intense fear was not present in these two. Instead, there was a stillness and peace about them; it reminded Aang of being in a cloud, only not so cold.

The man rested his hand on Aang's head; there was something in his eyes that felt very familiar, though Aang just couldn't place it. The spirit's smile was warm and relaxed. The woman's attention was on Katara, and her insubstantial fingers ghosted the living girl's face. She, too, seemed familiar… something about the gentleness of her smile and the light in her storm gray eyes… Her lips silently spoke a single word before disappearing with the male ghost.

_Healer_

The third little light, which had remained at the top of the cave to light it dimly, descended to floor level. Suddenly, the entire cavern was bright with hundreds of tiny lights. They twinkled in place, briefly, before ascending slowly, reaching the top of the hollow and disappearing through it. The sight drew Katara's breath away; it resembled snow glistening in pale moonlight, rising instead of falling.

Neither knew how long they had been there, watching the mass ascension of airbender spirits into the afterlife, but when it was all over, Aang and Katara found themselves in complete darkness.

"Aang…?" she whispered aloud.

Aang's arms pulled her to him. He was warm, and his sobbing has long since stopped.

"Thank you, Katara." He said.

"For what?"

"For healing them, helping them find peace."

"But all I said was—"

"Exactly what they needed to hear… and what _I_ needed to hear too."

"…"

Aang stood up, and a moment later, a tongue of fire was sitting in his palm. Katara rose as well; Aang saw the question in her eyes.

"It's ok." He said. "They've all found peace and left this place. I don't think they'll mind me having just a little to see."

Aang picked her up again, and with a swift running start, leapt up into the tunnel pathway they had come through. As they went along, he again tripped on something wooden on the floor. He picked it up and found it to be a glider. The wear and tear of time had left its mark upon it, but it was otherwise intact and not scorched. Aang's mind wandered briefly to the large glider back at the Northern Air Temple and smiled.

"Aang?"

"Just thinking of something. Don't worry about it."

The trek up the canyon was much easier than the trek downward. Aang earthbent them to the rim, and they walked a shorter distance than they had expected to do. With the dissipation of the negative spirit energy, Appa no longer feared treading toward the cliff edge, and that was where they all regrouped.

"I sense great peace and relief here." said Pathik. "Whatever it was that you did, worked perfectly!"

"It wasn't so much me as it was Katara." Aang moved to pet Appa. "She's the one that really helped."

* * *

Guru Pathik was returned to the temple, and Aang and Katara prepared themselves to settle the trouble near Kyoshi Island.

"We would be honored if you would come to our wedding, Guru Pathik." Aang bowed politely.

"The honor would be mine, Avatar." Pathik reciprocated. "Blessings and good will upon you both. Go safely now!"

The trek towards Kyoshi Island was not so long as the journey from the Northern Air Temple to the Eastern one. All the same, they made a stop in Gaoling to properly rest before dealing with the uprising. Toph was still in Ba Sing Se, but that didn't stop Aang from attending an Earth Rumble tournament and dragging Katara with him.

Initially, she couldn't see what fascinated Aang about the brutal boulder bashing opponents dealt one another, but as she glanced at him, she noted something intriguing. Aang had his feet planted against the earthen floor as he watched, and he twitched or smirked according to what the combatants were doing. Or, rather, what they were _going_ to do; Aang was sensing every attack before it was even executed.

"Having fun?" she said.

"Yeah! How about you?"

"Not as much as you are."

"Are you bored?"

"It's just not my thing."

"Tell you what. We'll go see something else after this last match. Anything in particular you wanted to see?"

"We could go see a play."

Aang shot her a horrified glance that said everything before he did.

"After the last one we went to? No way!"

"Oh, come on, Aang." she rolled her eyes. "It's not like we're going to _that_ play again. Besides, the Ember Island Players are in the Fire Nation, not here. Now, if they were the only ones performing here tonight, then I'd agree with you, but I seriously doubt that they're anywhere even remotely nearby. What do you say?"

Aang mulled over that explanation a bit before nodding agreement. After the tournament was over, they wandered down the arts district where two theaters each had something different going on. One play was a dramatic portrayal of the birth of Kyoshi Island. The other play—wouldn't they know it—was none other than the one performance they mutually refused to attend by the infamous group they especially disliked. The choice was very easy to make!

The Kyoshi Island play was pleasant, though Aang mused afterwards that there were a few inaccuracies to the tale. That couldn't be helped, however; after all, who but the Avatar could remember the events of a past life almost perfectly? Briefly, they considered spending the night at one of the many inns scattered about the city, but having been recognized by multiple individuals, they settled for a camp site outside the borders. Here, at least, they could sleep peacefully and privately. They soon curled up against one another and fell asleep, with Appa curled protectively around them.

* * *

It's been a while, but I finally got this chapter done! I debated what I was going to do with it for a good long while. Also, to keep things accurate (travel distance-wise), I've been frequently referencing the Avatar Wiki. Very time consuming, and oftentimes it kills my writing mood. Blech!

Life has also been keeping me from my fanfiction. Not in a bad way, just.... ways.... Lemme explain.

My next door neighbor had found a ferret loose on the street and had taken it in. Unfortunately, he didn't know much about taking care of it and was at loss for what to do.

Enter me. I was loading my ferret, Fehrago into the car (in her crate) to go pick up Advantix from the vet. My neighbor approaches and asks if I would like another ferret. Despite my bitchy mother, I agreed. He brought her out to me, a little thing barely more than skin and bones. It wasn't that he hadn't been feeding her, but rather was feeding her cat food. (Not as nutritious as actual ferret food, but it will sustain them.) She was a silver mitt color and seemed unaccostomed to attention.

Long story short: I took her to the vet and he gave her a clean bill of health outside of her obvious skinniness. I kept in touch with the Massachusetts Ferret Friends. I fostered the little girl for a week and spoiled her rotten. The name I gave her was Veil, after the Redwall character. The Ferret Friends found a home for her and 2 other ferrets. They just got to their new home the day before yesterday--in Canada! The new family loves her and has posted pictures galore on Facebook. A happy new beginning for 3 ferrets that definitely deserved it!

I won't bore you with any other stuff. Do let me know how you think the story is progressing.


	15. Chapter 15

The morning sun rose much too soon. From the middle of the fluffy pile, Aang squinted as he took in his surroundings. The cozy warmth of the bison felt like a living, all encompassing blanket that never got cold. His other source of heat, he looked down with a smile, was the lovely Water Tribe girl draped over his chest.

Breakfast was a quiet, but pleasant affair. Aang had bought some dried fruit in town the day before, and this he shared with Katara.

"Do you think this uprising will be a big deal?" she asked.

"I hope not." Aang replied. "But if it's still going on by the time we get there, it might be a while before it gets resolved."

"You seemed more confident about it before. Did something change your mind?"

"I've just… got a weird feeling about this… I don't know why."

They packed their things onto Appa and set off towards Kyoshi Island. Shortly before noon, their destination came into view. The medium-sized village bustled with its daily activities. Few signs were to be had that any great problems were in effect, much less an uprising.

"Aang! Look!" Katara pointed.

Far out on the northwestern horizon, something large was approaching from the air. Aang squinted, watching the object until recognition hit him.

"A Fire Nation convoy." He said. "And not just any one; it's Zuko's personal ship."

"Probably here to personally order the troops home." Katara suggested.

"That could be it."

Zuko's airship approached at an angle. Scanning the land below, Aang spotted the confrontation point. No fighting was taking place on account of an apparent stalemate. Aang directed Appa downward and they landed behind the Kyoshi Warrior lines.

"What's the situation here?" Aang asked the nearest warrior.

"A complete standstill." the girl replied. "They won't openly attack us, but if we move so much as a step forward, they're full on the defensive. Whatever it is, they DO NOT want anyone going into that cave behind them."

"Weird…" Aang scratched his neck. "Has anyone tried asking them?"

"Yes, but they refuse to answer. The only way they'll stand down is by Fire Lord Ozai's orders."

"We saw Zuko's airship on the way here and heading this way." Said Katara. "He _is_ the Fire Lord now, maybe—"

"They won't listen to Zuko." The girl shook her head. "As long as Ozai still lives, Zuko is still just a prince to them and in no position of power. Or… if they DO believe he's the new Fire Lord, then they're sticking pretty strongly to whatever orders they were given years ago. Must be something really important in there for them to guard it that fiercely."

The snapping and creaking of tree limbs announced the arrival of Zuko's airship. The young Fire Lord refused to be bothered with formalities as he hastily made his way to Aang's side.

"I didn't expect you to be here so soon, much less the same day as me." said Zuko.

"I actually thought you would have been here before me." Aang replied. "Do you know what they're hiding in there?"

"The Fire Sages were digging up old documents in the Dragonbone Catacombs when they found something top secret. It was a project my father was working on years ago. I didn't want to believe it at first, but now that I'm here, I'm worried the project might have succeeded."

"What was he working on?"

"Ozai thought it wasn't fair that some of the most loyal Fire Nation citizens and soldiers were not firebenders while there were 'traitors' in prison that were. He ordered the Sages to research a way to rectify this, to… do what you did to my father."

A chill ran down Aang's spine, causing him to shiver.

"But I thought that only the Avatar was capable of granting or taking away someone's bending abilities."

"That wouldn't have stopped them from trying, that's for sure. Anyway, for the experiments to work, they needed traitors to strip of their bending in order to give it to loyalists. While Sokka and I were at the Boiling Rock, we overheard other prisoners talking about others that 'randomly disappeared'. When I assumed the throne and looked over the records from the prison, there was a startling trend."

"They were all firebenders?"

"Exactly."

"But did the documents say if they succeeded or not?"

"No, they didn't, and that's what worries me. If they managed to pull it off and then somehow get to my father…"

"I don't even want to think about it!"

"Neither do I, and that's why this has to come to a stop right now."

Zuko turned to the Kyoshi warrior Aang had been speaking to prior.

"Have any Earthbenders made it past them?"

"Not one." the girl replied. "We tried bending tunnels underground, but the floors and walls of the cave are fortified all around with metal and we can't break through. A small squadron did a run and managed to dent some of the metal with the surrounding earth, but the fire nation soldiers had another trick up their sleeves that nearly killed the squad. This island is still somewhat volcanic, and when the squad went down there to hammer away at their defenses, the firebenders started bending the magma upward. Now we can't even get close."

"But magma is technically just melted earth, right?"

"Mud is earth too." Aang cut in. "But it's also water. Both Toph and Katara are capable of bending mud because both of their elements are in it."

"Bending magma isn't something one hears about firebenders doing too often." Said Zuko. "But it isn't unheard of. In fact, there was a Fire Nation-born Avatar that excelled at it."

"Avatar Roku?"

"No, the one before him. I can't remember his name."

"Do you know how it's done?

"I've never attempted it."

Silence fell between them as they pondered what course of action to take. The earthbenders made a push forward toward the cave entrance, wielding shields of bent earth to protect them. The defending firebenders retaliated with an inferno, heating the shields until the earthbenders could no longer tolerate the intense temperature and were forced back. A few gutsy earthbenders continuously remade their shields, discarding older ones as they became too hot and re-erecting new ones in their place.

But the firebenders were ready for such maneuvers, and when the enemy came too close, they pulled the subterranean molten rock closer to the surface. The earthbenders, their bare feet in constant connection to the earth, were forced to turn back by the intolerable temperature.

What the defending army had failed to take into account, however, was that the new Fire Lord and the Avatar had been watching them the entire time. Their movements had been observed; Aang and Zuko now had an idea of how to manipulate the magma.

* * *

Someone was standing outside of Suki's quarters at the Jasmine Dragon… someone with a lot on his mind and something in his hand. Nobody saw him, but his presence had not gone unnoticed.

"Sokka?"

The Water Tribe warrior stiffened up, startled, then relaxed just as quickly upon recognizing who was approaching him. Toph turned her sightless eyes to the door beside Sokka, then to the boy himself.

"What's the matter?" she punched his arm. "Cold feet?"

"Ow!" he rubbed the forming bruise. "No—well, maybe a… little bit."

"Listen, you either need to just do this or fix your head before you do it. Or you could just not do it at all."

"I just—"

"Fine. Go fix your head first then do it. But for crying out loud, do something other than keep me up all night with your mushy jitters!"

"But—"

"BUT NOTHING! If I have to lose one more night of sleep 'cause you're too goose-chicken to make up your mind, I'M GONNA BURY YOU! GOT IT?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he gulped.

Toph stomped away back to her room, the floor trembling with her every step. It wasn't that she was really that infuriated over Sokka's hesitation, but rather her own. When she had intruded on him earlier, he'd asked her for advice. He had also divulged his feelings for the two women he loved—neither of which was her, of course.

She was frustrated with her un-earthebender-like hesitation to divulge her feelings. And yet, at the same time, Toph was much too stubborn and stolid to give in to the temptation to do so.

"Might as well be Twinkle-Toes at this point!" she snorted to herself as she lay down on the too-soft bed.

* * *

The frontlines on Kyoshi Island had grown quiet as the Fire Lord, Avatar, and their closest associates huddled together to piece out a plan. Thus far, a lot of water and absolutely everyone's cooperation were going to be required if the plan was to succeed. Katara would have her hands very full while a circle of earthbenders deflected any incoming attacks. Zuko would have to master and fully utilize the newly-learned magma bending move he and Aang had observed the enemy using.

As for Aang himself, his part in all of this was undoubtedly the most dangerous one of all.

* * *

Holy crap! It's been forever and a day since I last updated this thing! And for that, I am sorry, but I got really stuck on the Kyoshi Island thing and just didn't know where to go next with it. The Tokka scene was a bit of a pain in the ass too. Must... keep... in... character!

Magma-bending! Yes, it is shown briefly in the series being done by an unnamed Fire Nation-born Avatar. He makes a volcano explode! And yes, i didn't forget that both Katara and Toph can mud-bend. LOL

Debated on having Toph send Sokka to Aang or Iroh for a Spirit World field trip. I'd like to assume that it came up somewhere in their other conversation a few chapters back. *shrug* Just saying......

Any and all speculation on what the attack plan is going to be is 100% welcome. As usual, like it or hate it, say something, preferably something inspiring to get my ass moving a bit more on this fic.


	16. Chapter 16

The battlefield at the entrance to the cave stood remarkably quiet for far longer than it had in a long time. The offense made no moves to push forward, and the defense, likewise, only stayed at the ready as they had been trained to do. It was a tension loaded silence, and any irregular sound set nerves on edge.

Then, just as the sun began to dip beyond the horizon, the offense sprang into action. A large band of earthbenders and Kyoshi Warriors rushed forward to engage the rebel firebenders. As expected, the defense returned fire, literally. The earthbenders employed their earth shield tactic, replacing overheated ones with fresh earth barriers.

Distracted by the earthbenders, several firebenders fell to well-placed knockdown blows from the Kyoshi Warriors. But the female fighters were not invincible, and could only advance so far before the intense barrage of flames became too much to press forward any further. Still, what ground they gained, they kept.

_A singed pant leg for a smarting fan strike to the face…_

_A burnt arm for a rain of pelting rocks…_

It was worth the effort and played out like an irregular, fast-paced dance between both sides. In fact, that's all that it really was—a false battle to keep the firebenders' attention occupied. The real battle was coming literally underway far from the frontlines.

Approaching from the opposite direction was Aang, but the firebenders would never have seen him. He was making his way underground towards cave while they were busy trying to hold back the persistent earthbenders. The Avatar needed no light to see but he did need air to breathe, and every so often bent an air funnel to refresh the meager oxygen supply in his lengthening subterranean passage.

Even with fresh air, the tunnel was hot and stuffy from the volcanic nature of the island itself. Noxious gases agitated his lungs. He would have to get himself above ground inside the cave before the temperature overcame him and he passed out.

Back on the surface, the firebenders were growing fed up with the aggressive enemy and called in their backup group to put a stop to the advancement. Out came the elite firebenders, the ones skilled in magma bending. They approached the forefront and drew the molten rock closer to the surface.

Even with the ground reaching intolerable temperatures, the earthbenders persisted in their assault, hurling heated boulders as they retreated to cooler grounds. A cheer was raised by the defense, as victory was all that they could see before them. But they were in for an unexpected surprise.

Underground, Aang had reached the outer wall of the cave. Just as the Kyoshi Warrior had said, the perimeter was reinforced with metal walls. No regular earthbender could break through it, and even a powerful one could only dent it. The first person to ever effectively bend the impurities within metal was back in Ba Sing Se, but her first pupil stood here in the stuffy passage, about to put his learned abilities to the test.

Aang wiped the beads of sweat pouring from his brow. His knuckles tentatively knocked on the metal, feeling for irregularities in it. _Twice… thrice…_ THERE! Drawing in a quick breath, he struck the wall with his will, commanding it to give way. It did, though not as much as he would have liked. This was going to take time, and anyone that might be on the opposite side would be able to hear it.

"I'll have to work quickly…" he breathed.

Sweat trickled down his face, hitting the ground with a soft sizzle. Breaking in would be made more difficult by his need for air, and he would have to pause his pounding to get some air. When the plan had been finalized, Aang had assumed he would only need enough water to get him through the wall, but at Katara's insistence, he took a larger bloat with him. Now he was glad that he had heeded her advice. As it stood, the supply he did have with him might not be sufficient.

The firebenders' mocking cry was abruptly cut short by a dark shadow from the shoreline. A wave the size of a small tsunami rolled over the land, missing the attacking force and crashing down forcefully on the heated earth. A deafening sizzle sent up clouds of steam, thick and obscuring to both sides.

Katara stood amidst her circle of earth benders, directing the waters to where they were needed. The first wave had cooled the ground of the frontlines, allowing the barefooted earth benders to push forward. One of the benefits of their bending art was that an earthbender didn't need a perfect line of sight in order to strike the enemy; bending a boulder big enough and hurling it in the right general direction meant that the chances of hitting their mark were rather good.

The firebenders, on the other hand, were at a deep disadvantage. Their art required precision for successful strikes, and the sudden smoke screen was a hard blow against them. Adding to the difficulty was the soaking humidity; even blooming fireballs wilted and snuffed out just as soon as they were generated. Despite the setbacks, they were not about to throw their hands up in defeat.

* * *

The muted sound of metal bending beneath a persistent pounding echoed throughout the underground passage. Aang had made significant progress and could sense that less than an inch of metal needed to give way before he infiltrated the facility. Still, the overpowering heat and noxious fumes that wafted from the warm ground slowed his progress. He was having to refresh his breathing air much more frequently, and even so, Aang was breaking into heavy coughing fits. Desperate, his hands laced into the barrier, willing it to give way before his strength did.

Several solid slams later, the clean air of the cave reached his lungs, and Aang drank it in like a starved creature. He peeked through the small opening for guards, then widened it to allow himself through. All around him were the sounds of machinery, pumping and clanking who-knew what. The air was breathable, though a bit stale.

From wall to wall were great metal contraptions of every shape and size. One was a huge heater, and the fire within could be seen glowing through a grate on the side. Another device, much in resemblance to the heater, had no grate, but rather a large, flat slab attached to the end of a long, adjustable pole. From the back of the slab and winding all the way back to the heater structure was a series of tubes and wires. The slab end of the pole hovered over a table equipped with manacles. Aang shivered despite the heat.

The familiar vibration of footsteps told him that several people were approaching, and Aang quickly slipped behind the poled machine to stay out of sight. From this vantage point, he could see the table in the middle of the room much more clearly. There were levers and knobs scattered across the surface of the pole machine and several others in the room. One of the contraptions across from him hissed hot steam.

"And what was the energy extraction level set to for this experiment?" said a deep voice as a man in an older style of general's armor strolled into the room. A shorter man in black and white robes followed him, an opened scroll in his hands.

"We raised the extraction level to 15.34 for a better draw, sir." the shorter gentleman replied. "But in order to do so, we've additionally had to increase the energy output of the furnaces and the generators they power."

The general nodded, peering about the room.

"What about the next test subject?" he said, resting his hand on the table.

"The paperwork's gone through, sir." the other man responded. "In fact, they should be bringing him down shortly. Will you be present?"

Aang felt the goosebumps rise on his flesh.

"Yes, I'd like to see for myself the progress that's been made thus far." the general smiled a satisfied smirk that made Aang sick to his stomach. "Perhaps I can even offer some insight into the matter."

"Of course, sir. If I may, general…?"

"Yes?"

"The mortality rate is still at 100%. The primary cause seems to be from the strength of the draw, not the—"

"You're concerned about the lives of a few traitors?"

"Sir, I only meant that—"

"That's not the important problem at the moment! First, we get the process to work, THEN we'll worry about if the source subjects are surviving or not! Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, sir…"

"Good. Now let's get the subject up here!"

With that, the two men left the room. Aang could barely stomach what he had overheard. They were _killing their own people_ to do what only he himself was known to have done, and even then, Ozai had survived. He had to destroy this machinery immediately!

When the footfalls had faded well away, Aang attacked the contraptions with an Avatar-state-like fury. The tubed pole was severed and smashed into irreparable pieces. The furnace and other large structures were promptly impaled on sharp spires of bent earth. All fires were doused with either the little water he carried with him or with slabs of earth, imitating a maneuver that he had seen Toph do. Lastly, he annihilated the holding table, ripping out the manacles and crushing what remained with a heavy boulder.

Only when he stopped to catch his breath did he realize how much noise he had made in the process. It would do him no good to be caught, so Aang hurried into the adjoining hallway. The general had gone this way, and Aang reasoned that if he were headed toward where the 'test subjects' were kept, then he would be able to release them and perhaps start a revolt from the inside. He could only hope the prisoners hadn't been so badly tortured that they would be unable to help.

Fast footsteps behind him warned the Avatar that his own rapid pace had not gone unnoticed. He looked for a door, any side door in that hallway, which he could duck into. The winding path seemed unyielding, but at last a metal door, left slightly ajar, came into view and he slipped in. The soft glow of firelight cast countless shadows about the room, but he quickly extinguished it. Aang leapt to the ceiling and clung to a warm pipe he found there. He was grateful the pipe hadn't been scorching hot or he might have yelped his location to the entire facility.

In the darkness, Aang could hear his pursuers stop, then kick open the door with a deafening bang. There were two of them; one with his weapon drawn and the other poised to firebend. With a cue from his ally, the bender lit a tongue of flame to light the room. The dim light illuminated just enough to see the space's contents: a small extinguished heater, several thick pipes winding about the circumference of the walls, a half-eaten rotten apple, the metal bars of a cage, and movement.

"You there!" One of the guards barked at the figure in the cell. "Did you see anyone come in here?"

The person in the cage moved with a slow, weak shuffling, turning his tired, sunken eyes to the guards. He blinked in the low light, covering his face from the fire.

"No…" the prisoner coughed. "Just you."

"He must've run further ahead!" said one guard.

"We might still catch up with him. GO!" the other ordered, and they dashed out of the room.

When Aang was certain it was safe, he jumped to the floor, turning his attention to the prisoner. He hadn't realized anyone was in here in his haste.

"Who's there?" the captive's mournful voice quivered.

"Shh! It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you." whispered Aang. He bent a small flame so that they could each see one another.

The man in the cage was sometime in his thirties. He was thin and looked hungry, but not emaciated. Though the room was warm, the man shivered and covered his eyes from the sudden light. When his eyes adjusted, he seemed to stare through Aang rather than at him.

"What is your name?" asked Aang.

"Kujo." The man replied.

"Kujo, I'm Aang. I've come to help you and the other prisoners out. But to do that, I'm gonna need your help too. What exactly is this place?"

The poor man shivered and shook in his confines. The rattle of metal revealed that Kujo was manacled in addition to being locked up.

"_He can barely move with those on!_" Aang fumed silently. "_What made them think he needed to be locked up too in his condition?_"

"This place…" Kujo shuddered. "This place is worse than death! At least at the Boiling Rock, we were fed decently and given yard time… I've forgotten was daylight is like…!"

"Easy…" Aang approached the cage bars, tapping them with his fingers. "I'm getting you out of here. Do you know where they keep the other prisoners?"

Kujo recoiled from the bars and covered his eyes. Even with reassurance, he was still scared of anyone that came close to him.

"At the bottom." The prisoner curled tighter into the fetal position. "They dragged me up here yesterday. Told me to firebend. They're going to kill me!"

Aang tapped the bars a few more times, then gripped them tightly and forced them apart. Stepping inside, he inspected the heavy manacles and frowned; bending these off would take a lot more precision than he was certain he was capable of doing. Bend it wrong, and he might break the man's wrists.

He shifted his attention to the chain links attached to the manacles. These he could bend without repercussions, but Kujo would still be stuck with the manacles. Regardless, the man would have his freedom and perhaps be more willing to lead Aang to the other captives.

Freed of his bonds, Kujo stared at his wrists with the puzzled look of someone unaccustomed to freedom. Just how long had the man been imprisoned? Aang extended a welcoming hand to him, and it was taken with great trembling. A light seemed to come to the man's eyes, and after a moment, Aang recognized it for what it was: hope.

"Will you help me?" Aang asked.

"Yes…" Kujo replied, a growing strength in his voice. "We'll get the others. And we'll get those jerks!"

* * *

OMG! I meant to finish and post this chapter up alot sooner! Several unfortunate life events derailed me from working on this. My grandfather passed away, and I had little will to write for a while. I am please to finally be returning to this.

A bit more action than I'm used to stuffing into a chapter, but I felt it needed to go in such a direction.

My apologies for switching the scenes back and forth so freqently, but it was the only way i could build tension. If I cram too much more detail into certain parts, I might get derailed again, so if the next chapter seems a little empty, I'm sorry.

Could've extended the conversation between the general and his lackey so as more to resemble the Azula/Ship Captain convo in the series, but I was worried about dragging it out, so I left it as is.

If you think the Fire Nation is doing stuff that's too advanced, i beg to differ. They've got TANKS! They've got bombs! They even have de-humidifiers for their Waterbender captives. Given that, how far is human experimentation from that?

Ok, I'll shut up now. Let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

Wearily, Aang peeked out of the doorway to see if the coast was clear. The thumping of hastened steps could be heard in the distance.

"Which way takes us downward?" Aang inquired.

"This way." Kujo pointed the way Aang had come. The Avatar groaned mentally; that was the direction of A LOT of enemy footsteps. Still, if that was the way they needed to go, then so be it.

"Can you run if we need to?"

"I think so."

Aang dashed ahead, hoping to encounter the firebenders and surprise them first. A trio of soldiers were caught unaware and knocked out by sharp gust of wind into the wall. There were more guards ahead; fighting his way through them was going to be tiresome.

* * *

Up at the cave entrance, the conflict came to a sudden stop. A Fire Nation general from below emerged to call the reinforcements inside. Katara could not make out everything they were saying, but as soon as the word "infiltrated" touched her ears, she knew what had happened and acted.

Her arms moved in a wide, pulling arc, drawing another great wave to pummel the enemy. The earthbenders launched a volley that rained down on the sodden firebenders, effectively clearing the way for the attacking force to move forward. As the earthbenders rushed for the entrance, several of the guards forced themselves to their feet in a vain attempt to block their passage. But with the obscuring mist clouding their sight, they never saw the flash of fans that rendered them unconscious.

Katara rushed in, a globule of water at the ready. The deeper into the cave she went, the warmer the temperature became. For an average waterbender, fear of their only weapon evaporating in the growing heat would have set them on edge. But Katara was no amateur, and if she needed more water, she could pull the very vapor from the air.

The path ahead forked in twine. Pipes of varying sizes were lined all along the outer walls in both directions. Thinking quickly, Katara took the path to the left. It dipped downward, growing hotter with every step. She spotted Fire Nation soldiers ahead of her, but they were retreating into the facility, not out of it.

A water whip lashed out, catching a soldier and sending him sprawling into the others. Those not felled by the strike turned quickly, releasing bursts of flame. Out in the misty open, they had been at a loss. Here in the dry heat of the facility, the fire benders were the ones with the upper hand.

* * *

Elsewhere, Aang dropped to his knees to regain his breath. He had taken out a small, but well trained army, and the fight had left him exhausted. Sweat trickled down his neck, soaking his garments. Weakly, he could sense footsteps approaching from both directions. Aang forced himself to his feet.

From the front, seven soldiers rushed at him, three armed with kwan dao and the rest bending fire. Aang moved to block the blow, only to have it suddenly blocked for him. Kujo had caught up with him and, seeing the Avatar out of breath, moved in to help.

"Thanks!" breathed Aang.

"Don't thank me yet." Kujo stood poised to firebend. "I'll handle these guys. Worry about the ones coming up behind us!"

Aang couldn't see the soldiers following them, but he could feel their footfalls. If he didn't act quickly, they would be overwhelmed before they could take care of the ones at hand. Immediately, he earthbent a wall behind them, sealing off the reinforcements. He had to duck quickly to avoid a fireball aimed directly at his head.

Kujo had been mostly blocking the barrage of blows coming at him. Aang could see that while he was holding his own, he wouldn't be able to keep it up for too long. A wide sweeping gust of his staff slammed five soldiers into the wall, stunning them. The other two, knocked off balance dodging Kujo's strikes, found themselves shackled to the floor by earthen manacles.

Aang and Kujo took a moment to catch their breath. Behind them, confused soldiers pounded at the makeshift wall.

"How much further ahead do we need to go?" Aang asked.

"Not much more." Kujo replied. "Once we reach the steel doors, you'll know."

* * *

Katara had successfully knocked aside the group of retreating soldiers, but the encounter had left her a bit winded. Still, she pressed on, anxious to find Aang in the ruckus. She heard running behind her, but was relieved to see that they were Kyoshi Warriors, hurrying unhindered despite their long-skirted uniforms.

She nearly tripped and fell over an unconscious firebender, pinned to the floor by earthbending. Other defeated soldiers lay scattered about the immediate area. There was no blood, and a cough confirmed that they were alive.

"_Aang did this. He can't be too far ahead._" She reasoned.

The Kyoshi Warriors caught up to her and began tying up the soldiers. Katara continued down the hallway, only to encounter a confused group of firebenders backed up against a wall of solid rock. She wasted no time in putting them down, snatching weapons and whipping them into one another.

One gutsy soldier tried to catch her with a large fireball. She deflected it with a water shield, but the flames had evaporated a good portion of it before being extinguished. Only a small globule remained, but Katara whipped him twice across the chest and torso before retreating back.

* * *

Following the other pathway from the fork in the cavern was Fire Lord Zuko. He was accompanied by several earthbenders and loyal firebenders. His pace was quick, but purposeful. He visually took in the structure of the facility, occasionally glancing at a yellowed map he held.

One of his firebenders paused suddenly in a doorway, checking for trouble.

"Fire Lord Zuko!" he started. "I think you may want to have a look at this!"

The room was large with a high rocky ceiling. Various boiler and heating equipment seemed scattered about the space, complimented with piles of pipes and support beams. In the very center of the dimly lit room was a table with manacles for a captive's hands and feet.

Judging by the state of its contents, the room seemed incomplete, like a work in progress. One boiler-like device stood ready to be assembled. Beside it was a long, jointed pole meant to be attached to a strange flat metal slab on one end, and to the main device on the other end. Zuko felt his stomach lurch, but refused to let the others see his tension.

"My Lord?" one of the firebenders piped up.

Having learned what the facility was designed to do, Zuko was tempted to order everything in the room demolished to nothing. He even considered destroying it all himself, but reason reined that idea in. Those involved in this operation were to be apprehended and put on trial for their crimes. It would do no good to destroy the mountains of evidence before then.

"Lock down this room and see that no one tampers with it until I give the order to do so." Zuko replied.

The firebenders soldered the door shut, and the earthbenders finished it off with a stone slab in front. Satisfied, the group continued on.

* * *

The dungeon was dark with stale air. Though Aang needed no light to see, Kujo bent a small tongue of flame to see by. Deeper in, the stale air took on a pungent odor likened to platypus-bear dung and old vomit. Aang was forced to cover his nose, but the stench seemed to hardly bother Kujo.

"After living in this for years, one sort of gets used to it." He explained bitterly.

The sound of movement caught their attention. Through the barred windows of thick, metal doors peered scared, sunken eyes. Hands and arms sometimes darted out, grasping at air and denied freedom. The horrible smell was at its worst here. Aang dared a look inside one of the cells.

An older man, sometime in his fifties, crouched down on a pile of moldy hay beside two younger men. In the opposite corner were two women, shivering despite the otherwise warm temperature about them. All looked thin, hungry, and scared as they returned the stare Aang was giving them.

"Kujo, I need you to stand guard while I open the doors." Aang gripped the lock wheel on the first cell door and began turning it.

"Right." The other man replied.

Aang opened the first door and peered in. The occupants looked confused, but stood up, shaking.

"Come on out!" Aang urged. "You're free now."

One by one, the prisoners stepped out, still shaking, but with a flicker of returning hope in their eyes.

"Can you help me free everyone else?" Aang added as he reached for the next lock wheel.

Sense and strength seemed to return to the prisoners as they raced to the other doors and began opening them. However long their imprisonment had been had weakened them, but in two groups, they were able to turn the heavy lock wheels and free their fellow captives.

There must have been well over a hundred prisoners kept here, and there were only a few more doors to open when Kujo hurried in, looking nervous.

"Lord Avatar! Someone is coming!" he stuttered.

"Can you tell who it is?" Aang asked.

"No." Kujo shook his head.

Aang turned to the freed captives. Some were clinging to one another while others stared at him, waiting.

"I'm getting you all out of here." He announced. "But I'm going to need your help. You are all firebenders, right?"

The crowd nodded.

"Alright then. Let's move out! Follow me!"

Aang hurried to the forefront to meet the enemy first. A powerful burst of air sent the four incoming soldiers head over heals, giving the four behind them clearance to firebend. Aang blocked it, but the force of the fireballs had knocked him back somewhat. Another barrage of fire came at him, but by this time, Kujo had caught up with him and dissipated part of the attack.

The soldiers seemed confident only until the multitude of former prisoners gathered behind the Avatar. Fueled by their freedom, the ex-captives raised a mighty war cry and charged the overwhelmed soldiers. While the stronger individuals rushed in, Aang doubled back to make sure the weaker ones were keeping up.

* * *

Drawing water from the dry air, Katara reasoned, was about as difficult as convincing Sokka to eat a salad. What little she had gathered had been mostly her own perspiration, but it would have to do. When she regrouped with the Kyoshi Warriors, she drew what water she could off of them and added it to her relatively small blob. If only she could find some source of water here!

The Kyoshi Warriors apprehended the soldier Katara had encountered before and decided to question him rather than knock him out. When asked what was ahead, Katara explained that the hallway was earthbent shut. Without any earthbenders currently in the group, they would have to find another way around it. The soldier sputtered that there might be a by-pass through one of the rooms, but that he was not sure which one.

Through with their interrogations, they tied the soldier up and proceeded do the same to the unconscious firebenders by the blockage ahead of them.

* * *

Things were not going so smoothly for Aang and the freed firebenders. Reinforcements had been called in to stop the uprising, and the waves of soldiers were rapidly wearing the Avatar out. Even with assistance, Aang was unable to do much beyond knocking the soldiers this way and that.

A hard stomp of his foot put a thick wall between Aang and the soldiers. The vicious pounding on the opposite side thundered through, but at least for now, Aang and the others were safe.

Wading through the crowd, the Avatar moved toward the nearest doorway on the left side. It was locked, but Aang could sense that someone was on the other side of it. Carefully, he pressed his ear to the door and listened. The general's voice and several others could be heard from within:

"_Are all documents secured and accounted for?"_

"_Yes, General. Everything of importance has been confiscated from this room."_

"_Good. Get to the other two offices and collect everything there as well. I want NOTHING left to be found here. Hurry!"_

"Oh no you don't!" Aang gritted his teeth and laced into the metal door with his fists. It didn't break through, but the door was definitely dented. Collective gasps escaped the onlookers. From the other side of the door, all action paused briefly before resuming hastily to the barking of orders.

Even with all of the pounding, if there was another way out of that room, then Aang still might not break through in time to catch up with the General and his party.

"Lord Avatar?" came one of the voices behind him. "If we heat the door, it might break easier."

Aang wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. With a nod, he and those closest about him commenced blazing the door to a fiery red.

* * *

Dear GAWD this chapter was a pain in the ass to do!!!! Honestly, watching battles is one thing, but writing them descriptively without reusing the same words over and over again is hard as hell! Also, I am aware that I changed scenes alot here; adding too much to any of them would have just dragged it down, and I really want to avoid that.

I don't know the proper term for those doors that open with the big wheels. I don't call them wheel locks because those are a type of firearm.

I apologize sincerely for taking so damn long with this. No, I was not killed by a rabid Zutaran. (LOL!) Again, battle/action scenes are VERY difficult for me. Still, i appreciate any input my readers have for this. Once I get past all this action stuff, maybe we can return to romance, smexings, and weddings.

And maybe the Katara pregnancy question, which i have yet again managed to avoid revealing. LOL


End file.
